Hearts and minds
by Norad38
Summary: A portal in Kansas the SCP foundation was studying leads to an accident resulting in the deaths of dozens of American citizens in a nearby town. This prompts the mobilization of a specialized military unit that recruits soldiers from the military to go into this world and protect Earth. Armello is up against a threat that they've never faced before. One that will change everything.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1: War!

* * *

Staff Sargent Bishop Dean sat in the crowded briefing room. Originally, she was a part of a army airborne unit. She had taken a contract to head into some other world for extra pay... Whatever that meant. The army had gathered soldiers from other units who agreed to joining this special unit and crowded them into a briefing room. She had talked to some of the other men. There were air force, marine, navy, army and coast guard. All five branches of the military and their special units as well as common infantry. Tankers, sailors, pilots, snipers... any position really. What special task could possibly be so great and so expansive to the point where they would need troops from every branch from the army, and such a small number too. It's not like they were planning an invasion and they sure as hell weren't at war. So what was it?

Eventually, the room silenced as a man in a lab coat came onto the stage. The lights dimmed and the projector in front of the room came on. The title of the presentation, operation Kingdom come, was projected. The scientist coughed and began. "Men, women, soldiers of the U.S. Let me begin by saying, thank you for your service. You've done us all proud. Give yourselves a round of applause."

The room erupted into clapping and Bishop let out a cheer. Then, it silenced again as the scientist held up his hands. "Great, great... Now, back to the manner at hand. I am Doctor Albert Schrodinger of the SCP foundation, an organization dedicated to the study and containment of anomalous object and entities ranging from the microscopic to larger then life. I know, you all must think I'm some sort of nut, and that I'm wasting your time. But, I'll show you what you are up against in just a moment here. Once you see it, you will believe it. I believe all of you heard of the deer county nuclear reactor incident in Kansas right? If you haven't here's what happened. Around three thirty in the morning about three weeks ago, one of the reactors overloaded for unknown reasons and exploded, spreading fallout throughout the region similar to the Chernobyl incident. No one managed to survive the incident. I'm here to tell you that's all a lie."

The room was silent as the image of a destroyed nuclear power plant. "The truth is much worse."

The image of a strange circle appeared. "This, was one of the anomalies we have been studying. It's a gateway to another world. We've been studying it for a while now and only just begun expeditions to the other side. We made contact."

The room was tense. This was a tragedy after all. If some crazy nut jobs were trying to capitalize or make a joke out of it, nobody was laughing. "Judging by your expressions, you all don't believe me. So why don't I bring in someone who will make you. I give you, Doctor Clair Harper."

Something stepped out behind a set of curtains. It wasn't human. A anthropomorphic red fox came onto the stage wearing a lab coat and a pair of glasses. It was far too small to be a human in costume and it was too animated to be some puppet or robot. The fox took the stage. "Thank you Doctor Schrodinger. Now, as for the rest of you soldiers. Yes, you are looking at an anthropomorphic red fox. No, this isn't some sort of elaborate joke or prank. This is serious. A month ago, we managed to discover this portal. We secured it and began sending expeditions to the other side. Unfortunately, whenever we did send people to the other side, they turn into anthropomorphic animals. The main theory is that we've change species because it conforms to the laws of reality within this world. Humans do not exist here as far as we have observed, therefore, it would be paradoxical for humans to suddenly do and might destabilize reality. Therefore, the portal that takes you there shifts your forms so that you will better suit reality. Every sign that humans existed has been altered from pictures, video and even drawings so it can't be simply related to biology has been altered. As far as we are know, this process is something that can't be reversed. But that isn't the main issue here. The deer county incident was no accident. We were on the other side of the portal attempting to study it. That's when a hostile force assaulted our research staff and security guards. Our security was inadequate to deal with the threat and they were overrun. Soon, the beings from the other world began to invade ours."

An image of anthropomorphic animals in medieval armor appeared on the screen which was taken with a security camera. The knights were killing researchers and overrunning security staff. Then, another image showed them breaching a wire gate outside the facility. Then, a satellite image of them approaching the small town of deer county. A fucking army. Bishop could already tell where this was going. "These knights found the small town of deer county and wiped them out. There were a hundred and fifty seven people in that town. Men... Women... and children. All dead. The local police force and anyone with a gun did their best to fight back but it wasn't enough. By the time we had realized what was going on, it was too late. We dispatched forces to contain the threat as soon as possible. We were successful. We wiped out the enemy and repelled their forces back to their world. But because we knew this incident would be hard to cover up, we blew up one of the reactors of deer county and made it seem like the entire place was nuked. Any signs that the creatures from the other world existed was covered up. New and media regarding it was covered up and declared as a hoax."

The room was silent as more images flashed onto the screen revealing the carnage. The room was silent. "This wasn't meant to happen. We thought we had it all under control. Now, we know better. Because this incident, we asked the us government to provide us with aid to deal with this threat. We would but our forces are stretched too thin already dealing with other anomalies. This is where you come in. You soldiers are here because you volunteered to go into another world for an unspecified amount of time. As far as you are concerned. This may be for the rest of your life. We can't allow any of you to come back home once you are on the other side because we can't let people know what happened here. You will have to make a new life for yourselves once you are there. If any of you do not want to go, we understand. You might have lives back home here. Family, friends, jobs... You wouldn't want to leave that behind. That's understandable. You can leave through that door on the left side there. You'll won't even remember this meeting or signing that contract. You won't have to worry about this at all. If you stay, this means you are still considering the mission."

Some of the chairs shuffled and twenty soldiers left. Now, there were only thirty. Moments passed. " Those of you who decide to stay are going to being placed into specialized unit of the U.N. The United Nations global defense force, a unit we created in conjunction with the global occult coalition to defend humanity from extra terrestrial threats. Your job, is to go to the other world and secure it on the other side. Establish a permanent military instillation and defend the portal from the other side. Now, a few of you may be saying to yourself, why aren't you doing more. After all, these creatures attacked our people. They mercilessly slaughtered an entire town of innocent, honest people. That's will be your secondary objective. The United states of America, is officially at war with the animals of this world. This means you will be responsible for fighting these animals and pushing them back, taking over their capital, and establishing some sort of peace treaty with them. This will be no easy feat. Sure, we are technologically advanced and could wipe them out easily. But we don't want you to. We want to study these creatures. Observe their world, and take samples. We do not want any of you going in there, and wiping out the indigenous population. And we sure as hell, aren't going there to take over and harvest all the resources we can. And that would especially be the case since you are going to be living there for the rest of your lives."

The room stayed quiet. "These animals aren't human. We know. But that doesn't mean you should wipe them out. They are still an intelligent and sentient species we need to understand. Their soldiers may be ruthless but that doesn't mean you should get back at them by culling their civilians. The laws of war apply to all of you, and you must conduct yourselves with dignity and with restraint. You are U.S soldiers. You aren't some untouchable, god like individuals, you are meant serve as an exemplary individuals and protectors of the innocent. You all must show humanity and you all must show civility. Don't let your rage dictate your actions. If you can't handle yourselves, you can leave because if you disobey these simple orders, you are going to be trailed and punished accordingly by us. Not your commanders or your fellow soldiers."

* * *

Bishop sat in the turret on the humvee, hands resting on the 50 cal mg, waiting for orders. She, and a dozen other soldiers had been waiting for a while now in this strange long corridor, all from different units. Tanks, trucks, infantry fighting vehicles, aa guns, howitzers and light patrol vehicles lined up in a staging area on the surface. Piles of supplies laid outside with an army to go with it. Whatever operation they were going on, it was going to be a rough one. She looked at a strange portal, it's surface rippled like water. The convoy that was going to be going through consisted of 2 cargo trucks, 4 humvees, 3 mraps, two m113 troop carriers and a Bradley fighting vehicle. They had been taken down to this place via a freight elevator from the surface where everyone else was.

Alarms began to blare and a voice came in over a PA system. "Alright everyone, move out!"

Engines roared and vehicles growled to life. Bishop pulled the bolt on the 50 cal machine gun, cambering a round. When the humvee in front of her lurched forward and sped forward, her Humvee jolted forward, moving alongside another Humvee and towards the glowing orange portal. She held her breath, looking at it as it came closer and closer. She passed by a security checkpoint where those soldiers stood by watching them. She had been ordered by the higher ups and the strange men to ignore what was happening to their bodies once they pass through the entrance. Wait till they get to the other side before they panic. She was quite afraid. Eventually, she passed into the entrance, it was very dark and the orange residue stuck to her like oil. A light could be seen at the end of the tunnel where they were headed. She felt nothing. No air, no smell, no touch. It was a sensation of nothingness. She could feel her skin wigging and her ears stretching as the strange substance began to spread over her body. She did her best to ignore it and look forward as she was ordered to do. She eventually could feel her nose stretching. Frightened, she closed her eyes and counted.…... Ten …... Nine …... Eight…... Seven…... Six…... Five…...Four…...Three…...Two…...One... She felt fresh air. And her body felt strange. She opened her eyes and saw a muzzle. She lifted her hands up to see that they were paws. She pulled looked into the mirror of the car and saw she was a mountain lion. Bishop looked around. She was no longer in the tunnel, she was outside in the new world. She noticed several anthropomorphic animals waving them over. There were tents and strange monitoring equipment. The humvee continued forward and stopped where a fox in a lab coat had motioned them. The driver, the company officer exited the vehicle and began speaking to the scientist.

Bishop looked around. They were on a hill. There were mountains to the west of their location, a valley to the east, a large river to the south and more mountains to the north. This hill was a relatively safe location with only one feasible option of attack. Through the valley where the enemy was. It was relatively bright out considering the fact that it was night time. She looked up, it was a full moon. Bishop then noticed distance campfires. Many of them, far down in the valley, a about 3000 or so meters away. She took out a set of binoculars and peered through them. She could tell there were many animals down there though they were hard to make out. They all sat around massive bonfires and ranged from several species. From what she could tell, it could have been another force. A hostile one perhaps? Bishop immediately felt nervous. "Fall in men!"

Bishop got out of the vehicle and stood at the ready in front of the captain. Troops filed out of their vehicles and stood at attention in front of the squad leader who was a rabbit. All of them had been changed. Bishop noticed canines, felines, rabbits, and bears. "Right, now I'm sure you all have a lot of questions concerning the current situation. I don't know. Doctor Adams here however, does know and will be instructing you on your situation."

The fox coughed and nodded. "Ahhh yes. Well, let me be the first to tell you all, welcome to Armello. This world as far as we know, is the same as earth... Environment wise. There is magic, monsters and the life here is intelligent. Now, another thing you may have seen is the number of campfires about down in the valley. They amassed there about a week ago and have been staying there since, watching us. While they haven't made a move yet, we know they are affiliated with the hostile force that attacked deer county. We counted about four and a half thousand or so individuals down there. Yes, we are grossly outnumbered and they are well armed. But not to worry, I can assure you all will stand a chance. From what we have observed, these beings only posses medieval weaponry. Mainly melee weapons and bow and arrows. They do not have catapults, cannons or anything of such caliber that can actually hit us. All we need you to do is set up a defensive perimeter around this compound so that we can defend it in the event of an attack. We've already laid out barbed wire and signs telling them to stay away. We just need you to set up your mortars and machine guns in strategic locations which will be able to keep us safe until more troops arrive. Then, we decide what to do."

The captain nodded. "Thank you doctor. You heard the man, all of you, start unloading equipment, squad leaders come here so we can plan out our defenses. We got a long night ahead of us boys."

* * *

Bishop secured the 50 cal on it's mount, knocking the pin into place. The foxhole was completed, covered and concealed. The others had also dug out a series of foxholes and had established a mortar pit. The M3 Bradley had been placed in a dug in position where it's turret easily got an angle on the the valley and the hill if troops were to attack. She and another soldier named Ramirez Johnson sat alongside her in the fox hole. Ramirez had been turned into a weasel when he was transported here. He was currently smoking and listening to music, bobbing his head up and down. Bishop swiveled the MG on it's mount, ensuring nothing would obscure her line of fire. They had successfully dug in, it was only a matter of time before the rest of the platoon arrived to reinforce them. She got back down and checked her m249 saw to ensure it would be ready in the event of an attack.

"Ey Bishop?"

He turned around to see Ramirez had unplugged his earbuds. "Yes?"

"Why you come here?"

The way Ramirez spoke annoyed Bishop greatly. "Well, it was extra pay, and sitting on my ass in some base in Afghanistan or stuck in reserves back home didn't really appeal to me. You know, because we were getting pulled out of Syria. What about you?"

"Wanted to see this new world you know, meet some chicks and stuff you know? Though they failed to mention the part where they were all animals though so it is kind of disgusting. So I decided to come since I wanted to try a hand at a new life here."

"Yea, I know. Where were you stationed before signing up?"

"I wasn't deployed yet. I was in reserves, waiting for my chance."

Great, a greenhorn Bishop thought. This guy definitely won't become obnoxious anytime soon. "You see active combat yet?"

"Nope. Not a lick."

"Where did you come from?"

"Jersey. You?"

"Pennsylvania."

"That's Massachusetts and no. I don't like cheaters"

"Ha! You can say that again."

He stayed quiet for a moment before coming to the front of the foxhole and looked at the distant campfires. "Maaan we are fucked. No way we can stand against all that. We better off just pulling back and destroying the portal."

"I'm sure we will be fine."

"What makes you say that?"

"If Spanish conquistador Francisco Pizarro could beat the Incas with just a handful of men and flintlock rifles, I'm sure a dozen U.S soldiers with artillery and machine guns could stand up to these medieval soldiers."

Ramirez looked at Bishop as if she had spoken in another language. "Man, what you talking about? You a nerd or some shit?"

"History. I was a history major back in college. Worked at the smithso-"

"Man, that's some gay shit. Who wants to learn about history anyways?"

"People who are curious. History important if we wish to avoid the mistakes of the past."

"Man, that's stupid."

"Well, it's a fact. Get some rest, I'll be taking first watch. I'll wake you in five."

Ramirez nodded. "Whatever, whatever. "

Then proceeded to lie back down and sleep. Bishop checked the machine gun. Loaded and ready to go. She pulled out the pair of thermal goggles she had and looked through them. Nothing coming up the hill, the enemy was staying in place.

* * *

At the base of the hill, Prince Thane sharpened his sword with against a stone as he stared up at the hill where the invaders were. His fellow soldiers had already retired to their tents for a nighttime rest. A week earlier, the king of Armello had ordered any available soldiers and the best warriors of the clans assemble at the base of a hill where the King stated an invasion was taking place, promising favor in exchange for service. As far as Thane was concerned, there were few animals up there. Very few. Likely a scout party. He thought it was strange that the king would require such a massive number of soldiers to take this small hill. He had arrived with 500 volunteer soldiers from the wolf kingdom. It was not nearly as many as the other clans with the exception of the bears. The number of rabbits, dogs, and rats made the group of soldiers he brought along seem insignificant. The bears had not show up at all. Those that were there were bears who were contracted by the king. Strangely, the king had also included criminals and mercenaries within the ranks of his soldiers. He didn't like this one bit. He also didn't like the fact that the king was absent, making it seem like these were false orders. Though, some letter stating the invasion was fake would have come by now so it was unlikely. The fact that he was given command over his these soldiers was also frightening. With his brother banished because of his rot infection and his father illness, Thane was forced to lead the troops as a show that he could be a competent leader. Failure to do so would result in the humiliation of his entire bloodline.

Who were these animals anyways? He thought to himself as he continued to stare up at them. He felt someone put a paw on his shoulder. He turned around and saw that it was River. The wolf clan's greatest huntress, though he knew little of who she actually was. In fact, almost no one knew what she was actually like. "Prince Thane, may I have a word with you."

"Of course."

"Away, from everyone else."

Thane was unsure what she wanted to discuss which warranted the need for such secrecy. "Alright, if you insist."

He got off the log he was sitting at and followed her into the woods. When they were far enough away, she turned back to him. "Forgive me Prince but I have a strange feeling about this mission the King has sent us on. Something isn't right, I can feel it."

"I agree, something isn't quite right here. Why is the king sending so many troops after a scout party."

River shook her head. "No, not that. Something isn't right about the king. Why isn't he here. It's as if he's hiding something."

"Perhaps he has fallen ill?"

"Maybe, though that doesn't explain why there are so many criminal soldiers here."

"I'm not sure either. Maybe the king hopes they die in first wave so that he doesn't have to risk his soldiers."

"I don't feel right. And these invaders... I saw them, they behave strangely. They carry strange devices about and simply stay on top of the hill watching us. Like they're studying us."

"Well that's what scouts do."

"They were scooping dirt and staring at the floor. Like they were looking for something."

"Maybe there's a magical artifact on the hill?"

"If there was, the rats would have taken it long before these animals arrived. Besides, the flag they fly is one I have never seen before."

Thane thought for a moment. "I'm not sure River. I do know when tomorrow comes, this whole crisis will be resolved."

"Thane."

"Yes?"

"Do not join the attack."

Thane felt offended. "What? You expect us wolves to just stay behind while the scum of Armello do our job? That will bring shame upon our clan! "

"Thane, listen. We don't know what we are up against here. Perhaps these are necromancers who plan to raise an army of the dead or something we couldn't even begin to imagine. We need to know what we are dealing with first.. If we charge in blindly with the others, we may perish."

Thane was becoming angry. "River, I cannot afford to fail my father. Too much is at stake for me to stay behind and cower from the battle. It is my duty to go and represent the clan."

River seemed to be offended. "Thane, listen to me, we can't afford to lose the prince of the wolf clan in a pointless battle!"

"And we can't afford to serve as rear guard for a bunch of criminals and the other clans. It will be an embarrassment even if the enemy on the hill is more powerful then we believe."

"You idiot! We can't afford to take the risk!"

"FINE!"

He growled at her. "Tell the soldiers that you want to stay behind and serve as rearguard. Let them volunteer to stay with you if they like. I'll lead any soldiers who are willing to charge up that hill."

"Li-"

"END OF DISCUSION!"

* * *

Morning came for Bishop as sat in her foxhole eating an oatmeal MRE, watching the troops in the trucks unload boxes of mortar shells and machine gun rounds. The addition of heavier artillery would have been much better but it would be near impossible in the short time span given the fact the freight elevator could only transport so many at a time. It was a major design flaw but they didn't exactly build it with the intention of transporting an army here. They could only hope they whatever they can get. Their platoon of 25 animals had swelled to a company with 125 soldiers. They were more prepared but it would still be a tough fight.

Those medieval soldiers were going to push up the hill. She watched them as they arrayed themselves in columns, their armor glinted, giving her a clear view of where they were. It would be easy pickings. Ramirez, still tired from last night, napped in the fox hole. Then, Bishop heard it, a distant roar. She immediately set her food to the side and picked up her rangefinder, peering through the scope. She could see soldiers slowly marching up the hill. She set the rangefinder to the side and quickly picked up the radio. "Command, we have movement to the east. Looks like they're beginning their offensive. Whats our orders? Over."

"Copy that fire team two. One moment please while we confirm this. Over."

She waited for a few moments before the radio crackled back to life. "Badger two, we have confirmed troop movements, get out your rangefinder and direct artillery. You are cleared to engage, over."

Bishop was startled by this sudden order but chose not to question it. "Copy that sir, patching through to the mortar team. Over and out."

"Copy that. Over and out."

She quickly switched the frequency to the artillery channel. "Mortar team, this is fire team two, are you in position. Over."

A moment passed before a voice came over the radio. "We are in position fire team two. We have been informed of tangos moving up the hill. Give us targets. Over."

"Copy that. Over."

Bishop set down the radio and kicked Ramerez who shot awake. "Wha- man wha you want. I'm trying to sleep here."

"Get on the radio and relay coordinates to the artillery. The enemy is moving up the hill."

* * *

Thane and several other commanders marched by each other in front of their columns of troops as they marched up the hill. They stood in the stood proud and moved as one. The enemy on the hill was sure to lose. He turned back to see River and a small group of soldiers standing alone at the bottom of the hill with members of the other clans who were afraid of advancing. Cowards, the lot of them he thought in disgust He stepped on something wooden and noticed it was one of the signs the invaders had set up upon the hill telling them to stay away. He snickered. These animals were fools for believing words along could avoid the inevitable conflict. Then, he heard the sound of whistling.

Before he could ask questions, the hill began to erupt. Men screamed as they were torn apart by the explosions. He looked up on the hill and noticed light puffs of smoke. Witchcraft he thought. He took a deep breath and yelled. "CHARGE!"

He howled and the wolf soldiers let out a battle cry as the began to rush up the hill alongside the other troops. The ground continued to explode around them as they scrambled over rocks and past craters.

* * *

"Adjust two degrees left, five degrees up!"

Bishop continued to direct the mortar fire on the advancing troops. They were moving faster then she expected. Given the fact they were animals, she knew she should have expected it. The mortars seemed to have little effect on cutting down their numbers as they ran up the hill. The HE rounds did cut huge swaths of them out but they wouldn't be able to kill them all. She quickly set down the binoculars and checked the m2 browning. This was going to get ugly.

* * *

They all ran, both out of fear and anger. No animals within Armello should have a power such as this. If these animals were capable of this, then who knows what would happen to the rest of the kingdom. They had to succeed. Bodies were tossed in the air like rag dolls by the explosions and they were showered in dirt. So long as they kept moving, they would win.

He ran over the bodies of his fallen comrades. They were losing too many troops, perhaps if the wolves split off from the main assault force and flanked the enemy, they could stand a chance. He yelled again. "GO LEFT, WE NEED TO FLANK THEM!"

He howled and the troops began to break away from the main assault force.

* * *

Bishop internally sighed as she saw the troops beginning to break off into smaller groups. They were wising up. "Ramirez, tell command the group have broken up. Wolves have split off, bearing south east one hundred degrees of my position. Main assault force is still on course directly from the north east."

He relayed the information and came over, chambering a round in his m4 carbine. "Command says to start lighting them up."

She nodded and went to her browning. She pulled the bolt back and took aim at the wolves. She pressed the trigger.

* * *

Thane nearly threw up when he saw his comrades being torn to shreds by an invisible force. They were literally being torn to shreds. Limbs, heads and even bodies were ripped apart as they continued to run. Blood and guts showered him as he ran alongside them.

* * *

The heavy machine gun chugged in unison with the sound of other machine guns, the mortars, grenades and the sound of the Bradley's 30 mm cannon. She could see the wolf soldiers literally being torn apart as they fired at them. Their howls, barks and whines were barely audible above the thumping of the machine guns. Bishop shrieked as she reloaded. "FUCK FUCK! CONCENTRATE FIRE ON THE WOLVES!"

The machine gun nest beside her directed it's m240 machine gun at the wolves who were trying to make a shield wall.

* * *

An explosion threw Thane to the floor. His ears rang painfully and his world spun. He had been thrown down into a pile of corpses. He stopped and looked at the enemy. He could see them. A cougar and a weasel. Puffs of smoke could be seen from little white clouds that came from strange staffs. He looked at his men, they were gone. Those who tried to kept trying to run up the hill were torn apart or blown up. A wolf soldier held an arm as he walked aimlessly, just as he was ripped apart as well. This. This was too much. Why were they doing this? What had they done wrong? Why had the Wyld forsaken them? He passed out.

* * *

Bishop stopped firing. Her hands shook as she loaded another belt of 50 cal rounds into the m2 before slamming the cover shut and pulling the bolt back. Ramirez had finished shooting as well. They fired in turns. When Bishop had to reload or change barrels, Ramirez would stand in so that a constant wall of lead could be poured on the enemy. The barrels of the m249 saw and the m2 browning smoked in the cold air. Spent shell casings littered the floor and a smoking m2 browning barrel laid nearby. Nothing move. Eventually, the sound of gun shots eventually stopped. It was over. He set the machine gun down and carefully pulled a cigarette out of his box and offered one to Bishop. She accepted it and smoked alongside him. "Was it like this back in Afghanistan?"

She turned to Ramirez who was in shock. "No... Never like this."

"So it exactly like that Frans Pizza guy right?"

"Francisco Pizarro and yes. It is just like him."

"I didn't sign up for this shit! Sure, they are the enemy but this... This was too much."

They were quiet as they watched the dust settle. The warriors writhed in pain as they rolled around before dying of blood loss. There was no sense to this. No sense at all. "C company fall in!"

Ramirez and Bishop turned around and ran towards the sound of their Captain. Soldiers from other defensive positions gathered in front of the CO who stood atop a pile of ammo crates. Everyone was quiet and he spoke. "Gentlemen. I'm... I'm not sure how to word this in a way that will somehow make you feel better about what you did here. I understand you may be having some trouble trying to come to terms with what we did out there so... Fuck It. After we recover their wounded, everyone gets the day off."

* * *

Bishop loaded another wounded prisoner into the cargo truck as they searched the hill for anyone who was still alive, her gas mask made it difficult to see. The Bradley and the two cargo trucks had come down the hill as well as 50 soldiers had been sweeping the area. The opposing force who were at the base of the hill were to afraid to reclaim the dead and the wounded, preferring to fall back to their camp far away. The researchers at the forward operating post asked that US soldiers collect live soldiers for questioning. They sifted through the piles of the dead.

The carnage was evident. The once pristine grass of the hill was soaked with blood, pot marked with craters, and covered with bodies. This wasn't a battle. This was a massacre. A pointless waste of men and material. There were plenty of wounded soldiers and a few unhurt ones who had gotten the bright idea of getting low and taking cover. Not hard to do when your friends are literally getting cut to shreds right in front of you. They were practically ankle deep in death right now. Bishop wanted to run, to get away from this place and just forget about it. But she knew she couldn't.

Then, she noticed someone groaning. She raised her SAW and pointed it at the perceived direction of the noise. She noticed movement near a pile of dead and she walked over.

* * *

"FREEZE!"

The voice, despite the fact it was female's, was icy cold and affirmative. Thane raised his paws as he felt something pressed to the back of his head and he was lifted up by the scruff of his neck. He could barely muster the courage to speak. "Don't hurt me!"

The soldier behind him was silent. She grabbed his arms and put them behind his back, shackling them. She turned him around and pushed him towards her fellow soldiers. "Walk."

She shoved him towards them. He saw others being arranged on stretchers, their doctors trying to help them. Who were these people? What were they planning? He didn't know what she would do. He decided he could convince her to help. "Please, I beg you, as a fellow Warrior. Let me go."

"Warrior? I'm not a warrior. I'm a soldier."

"But-"

"No... I'm not. Now shut up."

"Do not insult me, I am a prince!"

She hit him across the head and Thane clammed up, realizing talking with her would be pointless. He saw many of them. Rats, dogs, cats, possums, wolves, and bears. Mammals of all sizes and shapes. She went over and saluted a rabbit who returned the gesture. "Report."

"Captain! I found a live one. I think he was one of the commanders. Saw him running behind the wolves and directing them."

He nodded and pointed at a bunch of Armello soldiers who were being herded by several animals in green uniforms. None the captors had swords or shields, they all had those staffs. An army of mages he thought.

Thane felt himself being pushed by the she wolf as she moved him towards the prisoners who could still walk. He was eventually pushed into the group and the white wolf fell back with her troops. He looked at those around him. There were 20 of them. 15 rabbits, 3 royal guards and 2 rats. He saw there were a few officers among the group but no commanders. Were they all dead?

* * *

Bishop continued to look for more soldiers. Digging through the plies of bodies to try and find anyone who was still alive. She heard the sound of coughing and she looked around. She noticed a paw sticking up from below a pile of corpses. She ran over and lifted the body of a dog soldier to see a dog with a bullet holes in his chest. His face was mangled, likely because of shrapnel from a mortar. He lifted his arms and felt around. "Mother... Is that you."

She could see he was crying. Desperately reaching out for comfort. She decided to play along and took off her mask. "I'm here sweetie."

She knelt down and cradled the dog. He sobbed and clung onto her. "Mother. I'm scared."

She stroked his head. "It's okay... Everything is fine. Just, rest."

"I don't want to die."

"You won't die. You just need to go to sleep. When you wake up, I'll be here and you'll be better."

"Promise?"

"I promise. We're going home"

She held him and started to hum a nursery rhyme. He kept sobbing quietly. Eventually, he stopped making noise. Bishop laid the soldier down and started to cry.

* * *

**Hey, you may have noticed I re-wrote this fanfiction. As I watched Gate more, I began to realize something. I don't really want this. Sure, it is kind of realistic but it's so one sided and it got so weird later on. I don't want the weird shit from the anime. So I re-wrote it so it would be a little better paced. I want more character interaction instead of action. Sorry.**


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2: Information

* * *

Thane laid on the cot of his steel cell, alone. Stripped of his armor, equipment and forced to wear a strange orange gown. The soldiers had left him in there since yesterday. Nobody talked to him but hat could just mean they were interrogating the other prisoners. He was unsure of what he was to do now. He knew he should have listened to River, she was right when she said something didn't feel right. Her instincts were more tuned then his. All he could do was hope River was quick enough to run back to the clan grounds and warn them of the threat. She was smart, she could succeed where he had failed. He had failed, both his men and his father. He was not fit to rule.

The room they had given him was quite nice. It was well lit, had a bed with a mattress, pillow and blanket, and a chamber pot which cleaned itself. The sound of a metal slat could be heard and something was pushed into the room. He turned and looked at the disturbance. On the floor was a meal. A bowl of stew, bread, and a cup with water. He stared at it, trying to convince himself that he wasn't worthy of the meal. But his hunger eventually got the best of him and he ate the meal ferociously. It was delicious, hearty and hot. Likely given to him because he had a high rank. He finished and left the tray by the door. Thane was left alone in his thoughts. He didn't like this at all.

He heard the sound of foot steps outside his door. The cell opened to reveal a fox flanked by two wolf guards. "Hello, my name is Doctor Adams. You are... Prince Thane Greymane correct?"

He nodded and stood up. "Just call me Thane. I'm not worthy of being called a prince, nor am I worthy of the title of Greymane."

"Why is that?"

"I have failed to lead my men into battle and failed to carry out the King's task... I should have died with them. At least I would have been able to preserve my honor."

The fox chuckled. "You preformed admirably under the circumstances given the fact you weren't equipped to deal with us. One of my soldiers reported you splitting the soldiers up so you all were more scattered and you ordered them to start running. You bought your men some more time... That's all I can really say."

"Why does it matter. They're dead and it's all my fault. I should have listened to her."

"Who?"

"River. She was a... friend of mine. She begged me to stay behind and I got angry at her. She wasn't part of the attack and stayed with a rear guard when we advanced... I hope she's okay."

"Don't worry Thane, your friends are safe. We let them go after the battle was over. Let them tell Armello what happened here today."

"Why have you come. To mock me?"

"No. That's not why we are here. We just want to ask some questions."

"Well, I may be defeated but I won't sell out my kin."

"We aren't asking you to do that... Yet. We have questions about other things."

"What's in it for me."

"Your freedom. Cooperate, and we will ensure you stay comfortable and we'll let you out earlier then the others. Perhaps we lessen the work load we give you. If you don't well... We just might have to rough you up a bit more."

Thane could understand what the fox meant by that. If these animals were capable of destroying an entire army, who knows what they could do when the torture their enemies. He nodded without hesitation. The fox smiled. "Good. Come with me."

* * *

Bishop sat in the mess tent, trying to work up an appetite for the plate of chicken gumbo and bread. A meal cooked by, who guessed it, Ramirez. Turns out, he was some owner of a Louisiana style kitchen in jersey, specializing in all sorts of stuff from po-boys to gumbos and so much more. She usually loved Cajun stuff but she just didn't have it in her. A bear sat by her and said hello. She turned and looked. "Uh, hey... Who were you again? I don't recognize anyone now so I've got to figure it out all over again."

The bear chuckled. "Corporal John Brown. USMC."

She smiled. "Oh... I guess I wouldn't have known you anyways."

She extended a paw. "Staff Sargent Bishop Dean, US army airborne."

He nodded and shook her hand. "Crazy stuff we've been seeing out here eh?"

She nodded. John could clearly see what was going on with her. "It's about what happened on the hill wasn't it?"

"Yea... I was on the front you know, manning one of the fox holes. Had a fifty cal in there so when they got close I..."

"I understand. In all my time in Afghanistan, I've never had to shoot someone up close with that weapon before."

"That isn't even the worst part."

"Oh? Tell me what's worse then cutting people in half with a heavy machine gun?"

"I had to comfort one of the dying ones."

"Come again?"

"He was dying there, begging for his mom... I pretended to be his mom and tried to comfort him... I kind of wish I just shot him so I didn't have to..."

"You should see the shrink for that you know. They'll help you out."

"I know. I'm going tomorrow... All of the seats were booked out today."

"I see... Say, you eating that?"

"How the hell are you in the mood to eat right now?"

"I'm in logistics. I was carrying ammo for you jar heads. I wasn't fighting."

Bishop slid the tray over to John who ate the food.

* * *

Thane walked through the camp and noticed something was off. The soldiers stared at him but ultimately, none of them cared. Some even seemed to look at him with what was genuine empathy. No insults were hurled towards him and he received no blows. Something wasn't right. In fact, they didn't even have a set of gallows here, cages or even stockades. Where were they putting the common soldiers anyways? Were the executing them? Was he next? He turned nervously to the fox. "Lord Adams, may I ask you a question?"

The fox snickered. "Lord Adams? That's a first. Just call me Doctor Adams, Thane."

"Doctor Adams... Where are the wounded?"

"The wounded, they are being taken care of in the medical tent. Nothing you need to worry about."

"Have... Have you found any wolves?"

"Yea, a few. Why?"

"May I see them?"

"I..."

The doctor looked at something on his wrist. "Alright, after the interrogation, you will be allowed to see your comrades."

"Thank you."

* * *

Thane was seated in a tent and the doctor sat across from him. A pile of papers were laid out on a table in front of him. They attached strange devices to his body that lead to a strange device that drew on a piece of paper that stretched endlessly. Thane looked at it, confused by what the machine was scribbling. The doctor took note of this. "Ahhh yes. The lie detector. Powerful machine Thane. We use it all the time to weed out liars and criminals from our ranks."

"How... How does it work?"

"It reads your soul and determines if you are lying or not. If you are lying, the little marker stokes become bigger."

Thane nervously gulped. Such a thing... He wasn't sure what to believe anymore. These animals could make the mountain explode and rip apart soldiers without even touching them. This was magic he didn't even understand. He did not want to see the consequences of treachery. The doctor nodded, pleased by the reaction he had gotten out of Thane. "Now, lets begin with a simple question. What is your name?"

"Thane."

The marker continued to move in small strokes. "Good. How old are you?"

"Twenty three."

"Who do you serve?"

"The king of Armello. But I come from the wolf clan."

The doctor opened a folder and pulled out a picture. He recognized it was the King's former commander, Commander Whitepaw. The picture was near perfect. That's what happens to those who cross them. They get pressed into paper! "Do you recognize this dog Thane?"

"Yes. He is Commander Whitepaw. I think he was... The leader of the the royal expedition forces."

"Why did you hesitate Thane?"

"I was trying to recall who he was. He's not exactly famous."

The doctor nodded, satisfied with the response and wrote down something on his paper board. "Do you know if he was on any missions prior to his capture?"

"No... No. None that I was aware of. Though, I have heard rumors that he was supposedly on a mission to reclaim the king's lost land."

"Is that so."

"Yea. I don't know much about his homeland. Only that it fell to the rot... Some force like that. He doesn't speak much about his past and nobody has ever bothered to pry... Well, except for one. Though I doubt she would want to betray the king."

"Who?"

"Some farmer. I don't exactly know the details but she was the one who cared for him and gave him a chance when he arrived in Armello. He made sure to keep her safe while he was out trying to unite Armello."

The doctor smiled. "Okay. Tell us about the king. Who is he?"

"His name is... Tau I believe. He's a lion. Like a big cat. Like that... Cougar you have in your ranks but bigger."

The doctor nodded. "How did he rise to power?"

"He united the clans under one banner by defeating the bane of Brimwatch and purging the land of evil."

"Bane... What is it?"

"It is a large... Crow like creature. An ugly, physical manifestation of rot. It brings death wherever it goes and spreads rot all throughout the land."

"Have you seen any of these banes yourself?"

"No. I've never seen a bane personally. As I said, they were all purged from the land when the King slayed the Bane of Brimwatch."

"I see. Now, what can you tell me about rot?"

"It is a powerful and evil force that seeks to consume all and destroy all. It represents a lust for power, an attempt to break natural order and balance. Rot still exists within this world but nobody would be foolish enough to bring it back."

"How would someone bring it back?"

"Well, there are rituals that allow them to summon the rot back into the world. In addition to this, there are products such as hot rot wine or special poisons."

"How rot wine?"

"Yes, it's like a potion. I heard those who drink it get a boost of strength from because they are gathering strength directly from the rot but also get tainted by the rot if they drink too much."

The doctor nodded. "Good. Can you tell me about the Armello alliance?"

"The alliance consists of four clans. The wolves, the rabbits, the bears, and the rats."

"Is that why the king was elected as well? Because he doesn't represent any of them... From a physical standpoint."

"Yes. He is as neutral as he could be."

"Could you tell us about each of these clans?"

"I... I'll tell you all except for the wolves. I'm not willing to betray them, even if I have failed them."

"Okay Thane, but we will have to put this on your record. We won't kill you for it, it's just so was can make a note of it in the event we need to start releasing prisoners or assigning them to work. Now, tell us all you know about the clans."

Thane shrunk back from that statement. He wanted to protest but decided against that when he saw the doctor go for his pen. "The rabbits are the most intelligent and prosperous among us. They dig massive tunnels within the ground and extract valuable resources. They are also known for creating various contraptions to compensate their weak strength in battle. The rats are the most untrustworthy because they are know for swindling others for fortune and information. They are the best traders but that simply serves as a cover for their spy networks. It lets traders communicate with spies in Armello and the clans and bring the information back to their Den mother. The bears are the least known among us... All I really know is that they worship the wyld and can use it. They are a race of shamans and warlocks that use the wyld to cleanse the land and defend themselves from hostility but they prefer to stay isolated and pray in their forests."

"What is the wyld?"

"The wyld is the opposite of rot. A representation of balance that brings life and purifies."

"Have you seen the bears in action?"

"Yes, I have seen their magic before. It's quite formidable. They can draw strength from the wyld to enhance their combat or use it to heal themselves."

"Were there any members of the bear clan in the fight?"

"No. They refused to participate in the battle. Even though they are feared in combat, they are pacifists. The bears you did capture were prisoners of the king."

"I see."

The doctor straightened out his notes. "Well, I believe that's enough talk for today Thane. We will recommence tomorrow. In the meantime, I'll fulfill my promise and let you see your men."

* * *

103\. 103 soldiers were rescued from that hill. Of them, 33 were unharmed, 32 wounded, and 38 in critical condition. 4,323 soldiers... dead, wounded and captured, because of some mad king bit off more then he could chew. Bishop internally growled at the thought, scratching her nose through the face mask she was given. Who ever this bastard was, she would make sure he paid. Not only for the deaths of his soldiers, but for the deaths of the citizens of deer county. She stood guard inside a medical tent watching nurses in hazmat suits tend to the wounded soldiers. Many of them were crippled, never able to live a normal life again. They were hooked up to all sorts of medical devices Bishop couldn't even begin to know the name of. They moaned in pain, others breathed loudly with the tubes shoved down their throats. All throughout the medical tent, the sound of heart rate monitors beeped incessantly, constantly reminding the nurses of the conditions of the soldiers.

It was a horrifying and depressing scene. Like the mash units in Afghanistan that had to tend to survivors of IED explosions and gunshot wounds but on a much larger scale. She shook her head and looked at her SAW. What was the point, these men were out of the fight. What was the point of bringing along a machine gun. She heard footsteps and looked to see that the wolf she had captured along with the doctor and his body guards had entered the room. They all had face masks on. She saluted the doctor. "Doctor Adams Sir!"

He nodded and she lowered her arm. "At ease Staff Sargent. I thought you soldiers were on break for today?"

"Eh... I can't right now. I don't feel okay so I just said I would volunteer to watch the prisoners. Free up some of your MTF soldiers you know?"

"Thank you Sargent, I appreciate that, but you still should have a rest. You've been up with your comrades all night looking for survivors."

"I'm fine Doctor. I did get some sleep last night and I had some morning coffee. I'll be fine."

"Well, if you say so. Now, for the actual reason why I'm here. You remember Thane correct."

She looked at him and he looked at the floor. "Yes sir, I captured him myself. What do you want with him sir?"

"He wants to see his soldiers. You know where they are?"

"Ummm... I hate to break it to you sir, but we killed them all."

"Say again?"

"They tried to charge up our sector of the hill and they just wouldn't stop, even as we kept firing and killing them. Thane only survived because he was knocked out by a mortar round sir."

"Oh... What a shame. Sorry Prince Thane, I-"

The wolf ran over and grabbed her by the shoulders. "What do you mean none of them survived!"

She shoved him off and aimed the machine gun at him. The doctor's bodyguards raised their carbines at him. "Get back!"

He stopped. "What do you mean they're all dead!"

"What do you think that means? You lead them into a god damn slaughter you arrogant bastard!"

"That- That isn't-"

He sunk his head and stayed silent. Bishop turned to the doctor. "Look, you better get him out of here sir. We can't afford to... Sir?"

She noticed that he and his bodyguards were looking at something behind her. She turned around to see the nurses and doctors looking at a patient who was convulsing violently. Acting quickly, Bishop ran over to the cot and held the dog down. Something wasn't right about him. He stopped for a moment, only to suddenly come back and try to attack her. His eyes glowed purple and he seemed to... Smell. Like mildew or mold. He snapped at her, his mouth foamed as he tried to bite and scratch her. A doctor came over with a syringe and injected the mad patient with tranquilizer, causing him to calm down. Bishop stood by and looked at him. "The fuck was that? Super rabies?"

The doctor came over with Thane. "Is this the rot you were speaking of Thane?"

"Yes... I saw them drinking wine last night but I never would have thought..."

Bishop could see Thane was becoming anxious, not a good sign. One of the doctor's bodyguards held him back. "Thane, listen there's-"

Bishop nearly jumped out of her skin as the supposedly sedated prisoner jumped out of bed and tried to attack her. She held him back as his teeth gashed just inches from her face. It tore off her face mask and as its sharp claws made to grab her face. She screamed. "Fuck! Get it off me!"

Thane was the first to act, grabbing the prisoner by the neck and throwing him to the floor, popping the purple boils that were on it's neck all over his paws. The rat snarled just as the two bodyguards shot it to death. The sound of gunfire sounded throughout the tent and soldiers with carbines rushed in to investigate. The doctors and nurses immediately began trying to get the soldiers back to prevent contamination. Bishop sighed and looked at the corpse. Purple blood seeped out of him. She turned to the doctor. "Sir, what..."

When she took a step towards him, the doctor stepped back and his guards aimed rifles at her. Looked at the medical mask that had been torn off and immediately realized what was going on. "Oh shit."

The doctor looked at her. "Sorry Sargent. But it looks like you and Thane were exposed to this... Rot. I'm afraid we will have to quarantine you two until further notice."

Bishop looked at the dead dog and a look of horror crossed her face. "Shit! The other royal guards!"

Bishop heard the sound of other beds moving. The doctor looked around and soldiers scrambled to shoot the royal guards. Gunshots rang throughout the medical tent as the infected patients were put down. The doctor picked up his radio. "Dispatch, biological hazard in prisoner medical tent! Requesting reinforcements!"

* * *

Thane sat across a very angry looking she cougar. She had protested being lumped into the same room as him but was relented to when threatened with punitive measures. He had been put back in his cell with the she wolf and guards with strange masks stood outside. They managed to contain the outbreak in the tent and everyone involved was decontaminated. However, those who were directly exposed to rot were forced to undergo medical quarantine for a 24 hour period. They had been shoved into the cell blocks while the healers monitored them to make sure they weren't infected.

This room was barely large enough for both of them to move around freely. She sat there on the chamber pot reading a book with the title 1984 while he laid on the cot. The healers in strange suits came back every once in a while to check on them to make sure there was no signs of rot infection on them. Though bits and scratches were the most common forms of rot transmission, Thane had heard rumors that it could also spread through the air with fog. He had yet to see such a thing in person.

She set the book down and looked at the door longingly. He decided to ask her a question. "So... Why are you all here?"

She was quiet and he looked at her nervously. She stared at him, trying to read him. "You know why."

"No.. I mean why have you all come to Armello. What have we done to deserve... this?"

She looked at him. "You sure you king or whoever hasn't told you yet? Or did you just not listen like you did with River."

Thane held back a growl and calmed himself. "No. I swear, on my life we did not know why we were attacking you. We were simply ordered by the king to fend off invaders."

"Did you question those orders? Or did you just have your eyes on the prize."

"I did believe the orders were false for a time. But when I saw the commander of the Armello forces, I realized they weren't."

"No. I meant, did you question who we were. Why we were there? Why were you attacking?"

"No- I- Well. You were encroaching on Armello territory so we were justified."

"Bullshit. Why did you attack then, why wasn't a demand for surrender or perhaps negotiate? If we did and it failed, why didn't he tell you that? "

Thane was perplexed and feeling confused by the questions he was being asked. That confusion was leading to anger. "He has his reasons!"

"Really now. I'm sure he was described as benevolent, understanding, courageous and honest by your peers. Why is he being so sneaky now."

"Shut up!"

"You know, it sounds like your King isn't the same one who founded this kingdom. He might be sick."

"Don't call him sick!"

He leapt at her, only for her to suddenly rise up and punch him in the stomach. He doubled over and she stood above him. "You're a failure Thane... You followed an maniac's orders to attack an enemy you could barely understand and your men paid the price."

Thane growled but decided not to do anything when the guards knocked on the door. "Hey, you two knock it off before we shoot you both!"

The cougar stepped back and sat down on the chamber pot. Thane got back on the bed to nurse his pride. A few more moments of silence passed before Thane tried again. "Why... Why do you hate me?"

"Excuse me?"

"You're... Significantly more hostile then everyone else I've met. Why?"

She was quiet for a while, trying to calm herself before she spoke. "Because you got your men killed. I hate commanders like you. Trying to prove themselves and sacrificing your men for the sake of glory. It's disgusting. If you think I'm bad, I'd hate for you to meet the captain."

"The captain?"

"Yeah. He hates you a lot. You remind him of a some really shitty people he had to work with back home. We value the lives of our people Thane. The fact that you were so willing to throw so many away just to get up this hill is upsetting."

"I... Doesn't victory require sacrifice?"

"Yeah. But victory doesn't require stupidity or rash action. You overestimated yourselves and underestimated us. Just like the other the captain had to work with back home. You, are a literal representation of what he hates in a commander. Your boys didn't sacrifice themselves for a cause, they died in vain... You know that already. Don't you?"

"But why you?"

She was quiet. "Before my promotion to staff Sargent, I was a specialist. My staff Sargent was a real bastard. A west point graduate you see. A prestigious military school so he thought he was like the next... General Patton or something. He was a real bastard."

Thane didn't know who General Patton was but understood that he was a good leader by the context of her sentence."And?"

"He lead us into an ambush while we were chasing some fleeing enemies, and got us killed. I was the sole survivor because I hung back while he and the greenhorns ran like lambs to the slaughter."

She was quiet for a moment. "That's why I hate you. You're an idiot that somehow got a position of power, and five hundred of your men paid the price for your incompetence... Unacceptable."

Thane wanted to yell at her but he knew she was right. He had failed, not only because he was outmatched, but because he didn't have the strength to admit he was wrong for attacking. He laid down and started to sulk.

* * *

Bishop was becoming fed up with Thane. He was quietly sobbing in the corner like some looser. She hated him because he was a terrible leader but also because he got he balls snipped by this one fight. She hated weakness. It reminded Bishop of her father. A draft dodger, hypocrite, and a coward. The son of a bitch escaped the draft by fleeing to Canada. When he came back, he settled down and started banking. When the U.S went to war, every time, he would scold those who wouldn't serve their country. He was too old to fight by then so it didn't really matter. Thane wasn't brave, he was stupid. Stupidity was something that gave confidence but even the most stuck up will wake up and and smell the ashes when faced with the extreme. He was sad, but not because he lost his soldiers. He was sad because he didn't succeed with his mission. The two reasons went hand and hand but there was still a difference. You victory comes at a cost but if you lose all your men, even a victory would be a defeat.

She growled. "Oh shut up."

Thane tried to quiet down but still sobbed a little bit. "You think I like insulting you? I know every commander has to start some where and sure, mistakes will be made... People have fucked up more then you Thane. Hell, the other commanders who brought more soldiers then you to fight on this hill are perhaps worse then you... But someone below you saw something was wrong and you ignored her. You could have prevented all of this, that's why I'm mad."

"I..."

"The bears. I think I like them the most. Maybe it's because they are pacifists? Sure. But it's mainly because they don't care for glory. They just want to live their lives... I admire that."

She sat quiet humming that last thought to herself. "If anything... I think we will have the easiest time negotiating with them. They're isolationist, self sufficient, and they don't want a fight. They're perfect."

He was quiet for a moment and Bishop kept talking. "The other clans will be a problem. If they keep attacking us, they'll slowly deplete their troop reserves. It's only a matter of time before they start drafting civilians... The old, the young, women... It won't matter. Maybe we can use you all as hostages but it's only a matter of time before they decide you all aren't worth it and just attack."

"What if... What if you made a peace treaty? I'm sure if you threaten them, they will fold."

"And what? Make them live their lives with the fear of us? Not worth it. It will only cause more problems for us in the future. You know what fear fosters correct?"

Thane looked like he was thinking before a look of realization crossed his face. "Discontent. You're afraid it will be like the early days all over again?"

Bishop nodded. "We need to convince them we aren't trying to annihilate them but... That's kind of hard. Given the current situation, I say we are are failing our mission."

"You want peace?"

"Of course. That's all that matters. We will keep trying no matter what and we will do what we can to ensure peace. None of you will be hurt if it can be helped and... Well, I'll be frank here, maybe we will leave you all alone once this war is over. Everything will go back to normal and it will be like we were never even here."

"I... Okay. Thank you for that... reassurance."

"Glad you understand Thane. Now, would you kindly shut the fuck up."

* * *

Night time came and went. It was the afternoon of the next day. Thane and Bishop sat by while the healers came and drew blood from them. An odd procedure. He didn't have any hot blood that needed to be released but decided a little blood letting never hurt anyone. Better to make sure the illness was removed from the blood rather then let it take hold. They sat there for a long while. Bishop was quite reassuring that all they wanted was peace. Thane was skeptical but decided against questioning her. The a rat and a wolf healer came back and Bishop went to the door. "Well, what's the verdict doc?"

"You two are clean... Of rot I mean. Blood tests showed you both were healthy as you could possibly be but you two will have to get some shots."

The rat healer opened the door and pushed a metal cart in with needles. Thane had never seen this before. He believed it was called acupuncture but he had never seen it in person. Bishop cursed and rolled up her sleeve. "Alright, lets get this over with."

This healer pulled out a vial and attached a needle to it. "Calm down big girl, this will only pinch for a moment. After that we can get you some pink band aids and a lollipop. "

"Ehhh, fuck you man. What is this one anyways?"

"Lyme disease."

"I thought there wasn't a vaccine for... Oh, right."

The healer snickered and jabbed the needle into her arm. Bishop hissed a little as the healer as he stuck it in and pulled it out. She groaned and pulled down her sleeve. "Can I leave now? The quarantine period is up."

"Awww, you don't want a cookie?"

Bishop punched him playfully and laughed. "Shut up jack ass. You didn't have to get locked up in a cell all day."

"Right. Have a good one Sargent Dean."

"You too doc."

Bishop left the room and this doc turned to Thane. "Now, your turn. Would you be so kind as to roll up your sleeve Thane?"

He carefully rolled it up, emulating what Bishop did. "Yes.."

The doctor smiled. "Good, now you might feel a pinch but I assure you, it will be quick. Just don't move okay."

Thane braced himself as the doctor stuck the needle in. He wanted to yelp but there wasn't much pain. That was until he felt something being pressed into him, a strange force pushing it's way inside but he followed the doctor's advice not to move. The doctor eventually pulled the needle out and Thane looked at his arm. "What was that?"

"That, was the small pox vaccine. I won't tell you too much but it will ensure you don't get sick from us."

"I... Wow, that is quite. Strange."

"Yeah. Well, you've got more vaccines to take."

"What!"

"Yea, you need uhhh... Polio, haemophilus influenza type b, measles, mumps, rubella, and hepatitis type b injections. For now at least."

Thane was confused by all the names and what they meant. "Why am I getting all of this?"

"Not just you, ever prisoner is getting inoculated for safety reasons. It's part of military protocol so just bear with us here."

The healer pulled out another needle and vial.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3: All is quiet

The base had grown a bit since their arrival two months ago. Though, it wasn't as as good as it could be and Bishop knew this. A electrified wire fence had been set up to protect the outer perimeter of the base, Hesco baskets had been set up closer to the base to serve as a makeshift wall until cement walls could be built, bushes of barbed wire prevented anything from getting close without getting sliced up first and watch towers had also been built to keep watch over the base and the surrounding area. Barracks were built, a proper hospital was set up, a research site was established and the tiny little FOB was becoming a base. The elevator leading to earth was being rebuilt to account for the large army on the other side so this meant reinforcements wouldn't arrive until then but small amounts of supplies could still be sent through to supply the camp and it's people. Fortunately, there hadn't been any attacks for a while now but the thought made Bishop nervous. Now, they were stockpiling and prepping the base for what was to come. Spies and black ops soldiers always brought back news of the King drafting and training more soldiers following their massive defeat on the first day in order to supplement troop losses but he wasn't moving them. The king was fortifying towns, hording food and increasing arms production in preparation for a long war. Propaganda about the UNGDF was spread by the king throughout Armello which raised fear and suspicion. The alliance was probably strong now with a common enemy in mind and the weight of annihilation hanging over their heads. Nothing the CIA couldn't break given enough time. Though, Bishop was never brave enough to question what the spooks were up to.

A proper prisoner camp was also built to house their 100 inmates. Most of the prisoners were crippled and those who couldn't work were left in the hospital. Those who could still move and do work were given physical therapy and time to adjust to the use of prosthetic limbs. Prisoners were used to build most of the basic fortifications while army corp engineers worked on the more complex and dangerous stuff. The prisoners would go and shovel dirt for the army, digging out mazes of trenches and foundations to filling up sandbags. It provided some much needed purpose to the prisoners and gave the soldiers something to do. The prisoners were fed, watered and given breaks at regular intervals to ensure their health and safety. The foundation needed their prisoners to be in tip top shape after all and the army wasn't inclined to violate the laws of war. Most of those they had captured were soldiers but a a few were peasants who had been recruited into the ranks. The scribes that had been captured were given light administrative duties like keeping track of prisoners, reporting injuries, and keeping track of progress. All prisoners were given ample sleep, and their own facility far out of the base. A gym, library and game room had been set up for the prisoners. The books they were given were mainly novels, text books and magazines. Nothing about history or technology so they wouldn't learn about the U.S or it's past and certainly nothing that would allow them to develop their arms. Most of the physics concepts wouldn't be able to be applied by the animals until they actually developed the technology to use it. The rabbits and the rats took to the library like ducks to water. The rabbits enjoyed the reading about math, science and architecture while the rats preferred to read about economics. Several papers had been confiscated from the prisoners detailing plans for great works or business ventures. The debt prisoners from Armello, most of them were farmers or craftsmen, preferred to remain in the recreational area, excising and tending to a little garden they had begun to create there and had been advocating for a work shop so they could put their skills to use. The construction of the workshop is still pending approval. Some schooling was provided to the prisoners so they could read and write so they could actually understand what they were doing when given written instructions. The actual criminals from Armello were taken to the other side of the portal for reasons Bishop did not inquire about. The prison camp seemed more like a school rather then an actual prison now that she thought about it. But that was okay.

However, the prisoners did not forget why they were here and often asked when they were going to be let go. Of course, those who guarded them told them they were unsure but this never seemed to satisfy the prisoners. Work detail often provided opportunities of escape but they were usually stopped with non lethal weapons. Rubber bullets and tear gas were good enough to prevent even the most determined prisoners. The foundation also provided specialized drones and other high tech equipment to prevent any potential escapes. Most had given up and settled in and Bishop was okay with that. At this point, only a fool would try to escape. Although the initial fears of the prisoners motivated them to escape, those who could read were given copies of the Geneva conventions and told to recite it to those who couldn't. Needless to say, the prisoners seemed to calm down slightly but the paranoia never left them.

Bishop had been assigned to watch the prisoners during the afternoon. She put on a set of riot armor and pulled out a Benelli m4 shotgun loaded with bean bag rounds. Another day, another dollar. She stepped out of the guard armory and into a checkpoint that was being watched by a former national guard named Johnson. A farm boy from Iowa who had become a squirrel when he arrived in Armello. He looked up from his computer and took a look at her. "Hey Bishop, your late again. Why?"

"Ran into the LT this morning. He said he wanted to talk about the accident we had yesterday."

"Geeze, hope he didn't give you too much hell about it."

"It's fine. He just freaked out when he heard Ryan shoot his shotgun and a lynx was brought back. Thought there was an attack or something and he wanted to take it out on me."

"Oof. Anyways, the first shift guards and prisoners just came back from work. They're in the mess hall right now. Your guys already went in so you know..."

"Got it. Have a good one Johnson."

"You to Bishop."

He hit a button and the door to the prison grounds opened. She walked through and went to the mess hall. The prisoners were inside eating breakfast and chatting noisily. Bishop walked to a dog guard named Brandon, a coast guard from California who was too cool for their liberals there. She smiled and waved. "Hey Brandon. How are things going?"

"Well, your fucking late again so..."

"Calm your tits Brandon. It was the LT. He wanted to know what the hell we were doing here."

"Geeze, is Ryan going to get his ass handed to him by you know who."

"Ehhh, the LT already took it out on me so not likely."

"Shame. Well, it's been quiet for the most part over here. Shift change and that's it."

"Good, lets hope it stays that way. We'll be taking half the guys to prepare that airstrip today. Command says we're going to start launching drones today, get an idea of what are black ops guys can't see out there."

"Really now? I'd like to see that."

"We can put on a show for the Armellians. I head the air force technicians were setting up a drone already."

"Don't those things need satellites or some shit?"

"Yep, and we've got one in orbit supposedly. Some anomaly the skips used to send it up there."

"Wow. I did not see that coming."

"Well, they're a secret international organization, I think putting things into space is a cakewalk compared to the rest of the things they might be doing on a daily basis."  
The bell rang and the prisoners were called to the courtyard for counting and announcements. Bishop stood at the podium and looked over the prisoners. Everyone was there so it was time to begin. "Well, I'll be the first to mention this, Mr. Clawford will not be coming back to work today and the doctors say he might be out all week. If any of you want to send him letters, please give them to the office and we will have those sent to him straight away. Today is laundry day as usual and tonight is game night so we will bring out some board games for you all to play. Don't forget, today is the last day for mail if you want to send any letters back to your families. Then, you will have to wait for a month until our next mail run. Of course, be aware we are going to censor your letters for safety reasons so be mindful of what you write. I'm sure you all know your jobs by now so second shift, please go the the shed to pick up tools, shift one, go and have the day off. You all are doing a great job, keep up the work.

The prisoners split, with first shift going back to the bunks to rest while second shift was went to the shed to grab tools.

* * *

The day dragged on and the prisoners had finish creating a strip of land that was flat and covering it with metal plates. Perhaps this would be a staging ground for something. Though, why would they spend so much metal just to cover the ground? Thane looked at Bishop who watched some of their soldiers assembling a strange structure at the end of the run way. The soldiers were quite hospitable and the work wasn't as difficult as he expected. They valued life and yet they were capable of destruction on such a massive scale. Had these soldiers been captured by the wolves or any other clan, they would have been worked or tortured to death without a second thought. Something Thane felt ashamed about because he wouldn't have batted an eye if they lost. The library taught him many things about the enemy. Their knowledge which they poured into their books so passionately for anyone to read. Such a thing was unheard of in Armello. Mainly because books took so long to print which was why they were only affordable to the rich and the universities. He things he had read painted a picture of a strange world he could barely grasp. Just trying to wrap his head around it was confusing. They valued life and yet they were capable of destruction on such a massive scale. Bishop and of the other guards could barely explain it as well. It was just something they knew. Something that couldn't be put into words.

He watched Bishop who looked at her time piece. "Alright everyone! Breaks over. Lets go back for some R and R."

She stood up along with several other guards who motioned for the prisoners to move. That's when one of the prisoners, a rabbit scribe by the name of Gray Flatpaw, asked a very startling question. "Ms. Bishop, I know this may come across as rude but... may we see why we built this flat patch of land?"

"Excuse me?"

"We were wondering why we spent so much time flattening the land here. It's not suitable for farming and it isn't very large to be a road."

Thane gritted his teeth when Gray asked the question but the mutual nods shared by the prisoners encouraged him to do so as well. "I... I need to take this up with command."

She leaned into her voice box. "Dispatch, this is Staff Sargent Bishop Dean. I've got a question. Over."

A high pitched and scratchy voice came from it. "Bishop Dean, this is dispatch, go ahead. Over."

"We've got some of the prisoners asking why they built this airstrip. They're curious. What should I do? Over."

"Well... I guess we could show them... Alright. Sargent, you are authorized to let the prisoners see the launching of the drone. Over and out."

"Copy that dispatch. Over and out."

She looked to the prisoners. "Alright, it's settled. Have a seat, and wait. You'll see what you've worked so hard on for the past month and it will blow you away."

The group cheered and sat on the grass. Moments passed and the prisoners were becoming bored. Then, one of their magic carriages came by and stopped in front of them. A badger stepped out. "Alright, you got them under control?"

Bishop nodded. "Yep."

"They better not fuck up this launch you get me."

"I understand flyboy. Don't tell the army how to handle prisoners."

"Yea, yea. Fuck off."

The badger got back in and drove away. Bishop smiled. "Love ya too."

She sat down and looked at the structure. The rest watched with great interest. What could these soldiers have next up their sleeves. Bishop snickered. "Fucking rookie."

Another soldier named Brandon coughed. "Rookie? Seriously? No way, that guy had to at least be from a supply base. Okinawa or Guam maybe? I don't know. A place with no active combat and where there are so few of us to the point where it isn't even funny."

A soldier named Mitchell came over. "Nah, that guy probably worked in an office this entire time and he's just now getting out and doing something other then pushing papers. Pushing people is a step up after all."

The trio laughed and eventually quieted. Then, Thane heard a faint buzzing noise and shouts from the other end of the strip. Then the buzzing got louder as the strange structure began to move. It began to race down the runway towards the end. When he feared it would simply launch off the strip and crash, it began to rise. The prisoners were amazed by the display as the structure took flight and began to fly into the distance. Thane then realized it must have been what they called, an airplane. The prisoners clapped and Brandon took a bow. "Thank you, thank you very much. Now, let's get back home for some hot chow."

The prisoners stood up and began to walk the path back to their barracks. It was simply amazing and the launching of this airplane was everything Thane had hoped for, he was content. The rabbits however began to discuss among themselves the principles of how such a thing worked, babbling excitedly about lift and aerodynamics and the principles of how the airplane worked. Plans for how they could build their own flying machines. Things Thane did not understand and didn't care for. He heard the guards talking behind them. "Wait, did that thing have hell fire missiles on it?"

"Yep."

"What for? We aren't..."

"Shut up before you get us both court marshaled Brandon."

* * *

The drone flew over Armello, flying smoothly as it went. The mechanical eye swiveled as it looked down, watching. The four hellfire missiles hung from its wings, ready for launch. It's target was known to only its operators. It sailed high above the soldiers below. Far out of harms reach, towards the target. It eventually spotted a target, a small unassuming forest in the distance. It flew over, looking at what lay within. A crow was there, nesting. Purple pulsed along it's bodies and tiny figures were dragging themselves to it.

The, a missile flew off one of its racks and towards it's target below. The eye of the drone guided it with an laser, hitting the crow dead on. The explosion rocked the trees and knocked the tiny figures to the ground. Another missile was fired and a cluster of the figures were taken out. It circled around for a while, nothing was moving. It's inferred camera picked up nothing. Suddenly, the crow emerged from the smoke, angry and enraged by the attack. It tried to fly up, only to be struck down by another missile. It was grounded and another missile struck it, blasting it to bits.

Little white helicopters moved in. They hovered nearby as little white animals began to descend on the dead creature like ants. They swarmed it, standing about. The drone's eye turned and spotted arrays of soldiers approaching the ones that had just landed. The animals who were on the ground began to scramble back to their craft, leaving the gutted corpse behind without the approaching army ever knowing they were there. The drone's mission was over. It flew away, back to where it came from. It's mission complete for now.

* * *

Bishop looked at the mail the prisoners had slipped into the boxes. Some were addressed to Clawton from his friends but a majority were addressed to those back home. Bishop took the box of letters from the back of the Humvee and walked to the headquarters. She stepped in to see a fox secretary named Shannon Marqez working at the front desk. Bishop knocked and smiled. "Hey Shannon, got some stuff for the censors and a few things addressed to our failed prison escapee."

Shannon smiled. "Right, just leave them here and I'll get to those later."

"Thanks, Shannon, have a good one."

"You too Bishop."

Bishop was about to leave when the doctor and the captain came in the room arguing. She and Shannon stood up and saluted the two and they brushed past them without any acknowledgment. Bishop was quite confused. To see the captain arguing the with the doctor was certainly strange. "What was that about?"

Shannon sighed. "Well, it's a part of this thing the doctor wants to do. Some program for the prisoners."

"Oh, do tell."

"Something about establishing an auxiliary corp and having them guide UNGDF operations into Armello."

"You serious?"

"Yeah. The doctor wants to start training the prisoners and getting them ready while the Captain just wants to leave them locked up."

"Geeze, we planning any big move yet?"

"Not sure, it's kind of above our pay grades so..."

"Right."

"This will be a quick war won't it."

"Ehh, don't hedge to much on it just yet. These animals do have magic."

"I think the SCP guys actually found a way to nullify it or at least make it hard to cast it."

"Really?"

"Yea, some pulse field emitter or reality stabilizer? I think it just produces a frequency to disrupt the magic. I don't really understand the science mumbo jumbo."

"Wow, those guys are something."

Bishop finished picking up all the papers addressed the Clawton. "You know, I really don't like the SCP guys you know that?"

"Why is that?"

"They're secretive. Never liked that. Sure it's important but still, those guys give me the creeps."

"You can say that again."

"And what are they even doing with some of the prisoners. They take them to the other side of the the portal and what? I've heard rumors they're being tested on, live experiments and all that shit."

"What types of testing."

"I don't know. Maybe with other anomalies? They do seem to know quite a bit about this weird shit that's in our world."

"That would make sense. I've also heard rumors that they're trying to splice them together to create super soldiers or something like that. You know, with traits from animals that would make them better and growing them in labs."

"Christ, that's an awful thought."

"Imagining all this gives me goosebumps."

"Well, it could be worse. At least those who aren't criminals are being treated right."

"But that also brings up the question... You know, back home."

"I don't follow."

"If they are test subjects, the captured ones I mean. What about our prisoners back home. Nobody misses them and nobody really cares what happens to them."

"Are you implying they test on U.S citizens?"

"I don't know. I guess I'm just paranoid but...

"I'm sure they wouldn't do that."

"I... I guess. These animals don't exactly have human rights sooo."

"It's ethically questionable?"

"Oh, hell no. It's definitely wrong, it's more..."

"Defendable?"

"Yep, that's the word I was looking for."

"Yea, well. I should get these letters to the censors."

"Yep, see you around Shannon."

"You too Bishop."


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4: Sana

* * *

Bishop ate the last square of chocolate she had and set the remains of the MRE to the side. It was all quiet on the western front. The armies of Armello weren't moving and neither were they. Now, she was sitting at checkpoint Charlie, having recently been transferred out of the POW camp following the release of several prisoners. They were simply not needed and it was agreed upon that enemy personnel of low importance should be released back into Amrello. Aside from that, there was very little movement between UNGDF territory and Armello territory. Soldiers were sometimes dispatched into Amrello with the support of UAVs to collect rot samples but that job was mainly given to the SCP MTF units. The only personnel who were let off base were MTF, black ops, special forces and CIA operatives. She just sat on the watch tower with her LMG, ready to fill anything full of lead that wanted to attack. A radio was set up at the base of the watch tower, conversations being broadcasted as soldiers who were on patrol reported in on their situation. Of course, nothing ever came up. It was exactly life Afghanistan all over again with the waiting. It drove Bishop mad but she knew the UNGDF was simply waiting until the CIA and black ops guys could establish a coup and replace the King once the war really began.

The majority base defenses were still temporary ones and more permeate fixtures were scarce. Cement walls and concrete barricades weren't as prevalent as Bishop had hoped. There was only enough to defend the base and fortify a few of the checkpoints. In addition to this, the original company had grown to the size of a battalion with a total of 520 soldiers who just sat around doing nothing. She compared it to the Phoney war and began to wonder if they would experience an 8 month hiatus from the war before all hell broke loose. Of course, the Armello creatures weren't capable of blitzkrieg tactics but there were still concerns over the number of troops stationed there and fortifications. It wasn't exactly case of the Ardennes forest for the Armello soldiers to break through but there wasn't exactly a Maginot line either.

She sighed and began to sing along to the tune of Ocean man by Ween which Ramirez had thoroughly antiquated with her with the other night. For a guy who talks like a generic rapper, he did have good taste for rock songs and rap from the nineties. At least it beat Corporal Brown's taste in J-pop or Shannon's taste for Lady Gaga. Bishop preferred rock songs from bands like Queen and Black Sabbath but she also enjoyed some of Taylor Swift's songs.

Today was simply a slow day. She looked down at one of the soldiers below. A squirrel who was originally a Private Richard Harding from Texas, a member of the US national guard.. He carried an MP5 for his small size instead of the standard issue carbines. His previous assignment was helping civilians out of the aftermath of hurricane Harvey. He was one of the soldiers who were a part of the reinforcements in Armello, a batch that was stationed there for about a month now. He climbed up the watch tower and held out a paw. "Hey, got any gum? I'm out."

"Sure, he's a stick."

She gave him a piece of bubble gum flavored gum. He looked at it with disdain but accepted it. "You don't have any mint?"

"Traded a pack of eclipse for two packs of trident from Corporal Brown. One tropical twist, and this one."

"Damn. You got to hook me up with some of that stuff. I haven't had any fruity stuff for a while now."

"I heard a couple guys from fire team seven talking about a stash of canned pineapples."

"You serious?"

"Yeah. Part of a shipment that was damaged in an accident. They managed to sneak away with a few cans."

"Wow. I've got to get in on that."

"What, the fruit salad from the mess not good enough for you?"

"No, it's good. I just hate the fact they put those fucking glace cherries in."

"I hear you. Those things are too sweet for my liking."

"Corpral Brown likes it a lot. Saw him eating a jar of those a while back."

"Least it beats what Shannon does."

"Shannon?"

"The secretary at the HQ. The fox."

"OH, her! Right. What about her?"

"I saw her eating a jar of mayonnaise yesterday night."

"Ugh, you serious?"

"Yeah. I was passing by and I saw her just going to town on a jar of miracle whip."

"Miracle whip? Couldn't it have at least been a jar of Hellmann's?"

"Nope. At least it wasn't Kraft brand."

"Ha! Right... Fuck Kraft, along with their shitty mac and cheese."

"Fuck Kraft. Annie's is clearly a better brand."

"Annie's? What the hell? I was going to say Devour."

"Well, I like mac and cheese, not mac and cheese plus extra. I don't exactly want a heart attack from eating that crap."

"It isn't crap. It's good."

"Whatever..."

A moment of silence passed and Bishop went again. " I heard one of the nurses got kicked out of the MASH unit and permanently assigned to janitorial duty. What's that about?"

"Yeah, it was nurse Jordan Bridge. Apparently, she was a furry."

"We're all furries now, what the hell does that mean?"

"It means she got caught trying to have sex with one of the rabbit prisoners."

"Isn't that an article one three four? A thirty day suspension if I'm not mistaken... At least for the first time."

"No, that's with fellow soldiers. Fraternization with the enemy is a whole other story."

"Ohh, so she can't exactly be sent back home so she just gets stuck mopping up everyone's shit?"

"Yep, and far away from the prisoners. I thought we would do background checks on everyone who was volunteering prior to coming here."

"I think they did but... You know. I guess they just ignored it or they thought it would be useful for making relations with the locals."

"Hah, now that's something you don't hear every day."

"Well, finding common ground is the first step to peace. And if that effort has to be lead by people who are really weird, then yes. We have to take that risk. Unfortunately, the animals here are just like medieval humans so now we're stuck with a bunch of furries living out their fantasies."

"Well, they're still sexual deviants."

"What, you a closet furry or something? You in denial?"

"No! I'm not some- Some freak!"

"Cognitive dissonance is a strange and uncomfortable feeling in which you hold two conflicting ideas at once. Sounds familiar?"

"Go to hell you dike."

"I'm not a dike."

"You serious? I thought you were into... You know."

"Just because I didn't want to help Martin with a stiffy doesn't mean I'm a lesbian. That guy is just mad because I rejected him in front of a lot of people so he's trying to get me back."

"Really?"

"We're all pent up here Richard. We're stuck on this hill with absolutely nothing to do. We all relieve relief, one way or another. Even if it violates protocol."

"Then why did Martin risk it?"

"He's desperate. You realize how many women are stationed on the hill right?"

"How many?"

"About eleven, including me."

"Serious?"

"Yep, and absolutely no contact with the world back home. We're all desperate for some attention. Besides. I'm way too old for him."

"How old are you?"

"Thirty five. That guy is nineteen."

"Thought he could get a milf huh?"

"I don't have kids."

"Oh... Sorry. I thought... Never mind."

"Besides, even if I did have kids, I must really hate them in order to leave the planet and sign a paper saying I would never go back."

"Wait, I thought-"

"Article one three four."

"No, I mean. We can't go back home?"

"You didn't read the contract or listen to the briefing did you?"

"Damn it."

"What, you've got someone back home waiting for you?"

"My girlfriend... Mia. I dropped out of high school after I got her pregnant to make some money and help pay for bills. In addition to serving part time in the nation guard, I worked on some oil rigs out there."

"Damn... Well, unless she joins the red cross and comes here or the UNGDF changes it's policy on inter-reality travel, you won't see her again for a long while."

"Shit."

"Is it a boy or a girl?"

"Huh?"

"Your baby."

"Oh, a boy. We were planning on naming him Carter."

"Cute. He sounds bad ass already."

He sighed. "I shouldn't have come here. I should have stayed back home and..."

"Don't beat yourself up Rich-"

"Call me Richard."

"Ugh, ass. Well, you couldn't have predicted this. Hell, even I didn't. You're still sending your money back home so, that's still good."

"Yeah but I won't get to see my boy grow up! I'll miss out on his birth, his first words, his first steps... Everything."

"Don't worry, at least you'll be a hell of a better father then my dad."

"I thought your father was a banker who had a really nice mansion in Massachusetts. He didn't leave you now did he?"

"No, but give someone enough money and they become a total shithead. He wanted to instill this sense of... Proper female behavior in me so I joined the army to spite him."

"Isn't that a little extreme?"

"Not when your father is a draft dodger and a hypocrite."

"Wow. You really hate him don't you."

"The only thing I'm thankful for, is the roof, the money, and education."

"What about your mom?"

"You mean his trophy wife? After she had me, I've always been with the maid. She's practically my mom."

"Huh... That must suck."

"Ehh, it wasn't so bad. At least I'm not trying to cling on desperately to some man for money."

"You aren't a feminist or something right?"

"Nah. I mean. Not really."

"You believe in the wage gap?"

"Yeah. It's kind of shitty you know. Gender based discrimination should have ended ages ago."

"You know that's based on average the national average right? And doesn't exactly take into account the various job positions and the hierarchy of the companies right?"

"I... No. Not really, I guess I should have looked it up when I still had the chance."

"See, you need to do your research on this stuff. Doesn't make you sound dumb."

"The same research you would need to realize this land wasn't created by our gods?"

"Hey! Don't insult him. God works in mysterious ways and he must have made this world when he flooded ours. After all, he asked Noah to save two of every animal when he made the ark. This world could have been god's attempt to create a peaceful world of animals and well... Then they turned out exactly like us so he let humanity thrive again."

"You a catholic?"

"Protestant actually."

"Oh. I didn't know."

"Yep."

"What do they say about squirrels and heaven?"

"I was human once, and I'm doing this to protect my people. I'm sure he will understand and make me a human again once I go up there."

"Well... If there is a god up there, let's hope he doesn't smite us for turning into animals or trespassing on another one of his worlds."

"Amen."

Bishop looked at her watch and saw that the shift was almost over. She looked back at the hill to see that the next shift was coming the hill. She turned to Richard. "Hey, tell the guys to get ready, next shift is here."

"You got it boss."

He jumped down and went to go tell the others and she left the tower to pick up the radio. "Dispatch, second shift has arrived, returning to base. Over."

"Copy that Sargent, have a good one. Over and out."

"Over and out."

She set the mic down and went to soldiers standing by the HEMTT. The convoy rolled in and the leader of second shift, a wolf named Jackson Emmitt, came over. "Nothing?"

"Nothing. Been quiet as usual, patrols saw nothing and nothing's approached the checkpoint."

"Alright."

"Yep. You do anything today? Anything happen?"

"Nope."

"Okay. Good talk."

She turned and went to the HEMTT. Jackson stared at her. "That's it? That's all you say to him? No, prying or anything like that?"

"Look, Emmitt is a... quiet type. He's a bit weird but it's not because he's rude or anything. He's an okay guy."

"Okay, if you say so."

The members of first shift filed into the truck when one of the soldiers yelled. "MOVEMENT ON THE ROAD!"

Immediately, the soldiers jumped out of the vehicles and joined the relief shift. They took up fortified positions and aimed their weapons at the lone figure who was walking down the road. It was a large figure, it had a staff and it walked towards the checkpoint at a slow pace. Bishop could feel something was off about this individual but she couldn't tell what it was. When the figure got within 50 meters of the CP and Bishop could see it was a bear. She shouted. "STOP! That's far enough! State your business."

The bear stopped a good distance away from the checkpoint. "UNGDF! I do not wish to fight! I simply want to speak with your leaders!"

"Who are you!"

"I am Sana of the Bear clan! I've come on behalf of the clan to negotiate for peace!"

Bishop looked to Sargent Emmit. "You hear anything about this? Command never informed us of any emissaries coming here to negotiate. What about you?"

"Nope."

Bishop growled. "Wait! Just wait there! We need to speak with the superiors about this."

She turned to Jackson who stood at the base of the watchtower next to the radio. "Jackson, report it in and ask what we should do."

"Yep."

He scrambled over to the radio to report the situation. Bishop stood up. "Private Trumbull, follow me. Let's search her."

A ox carefully got up from his position with a aa12 and followed her as she went to the bear with her SAW. She came over to see that the bear was nude with the exception of the cape and a sash with pouches. "Alright, staff to the side, arms up. I'm going to give you a pat down to check for weapons. No sudden moves you get me."

The bear gently set her staff to the side and Bishop went over. She began to pat Sana down for any weapons, mainly checking her cape for anything that might be concealed within. She came up with nothing and turned to Trumbull. "Alright, she's clean."

She then turned to the bear. "Now, can we get any verification on your identity? Proof that you are really a member of the bear clan?"

"Of course."

She reached into her bag and pulled out a wrapped piece of parchment that was sealed with wax. "The elders have told me to give this letter to you so that we may negotiate."

Bishop looked at the letter and put it in her vest. "Alright, I'll take this up with our commanders. Just wait here okay? Don't approach the checkpoint until we've got the all clear."

"I shall wait here."

She got of the road and sat cross legged in the grass. Bishop and Trumbull ran back to the CP. Bishop addressed her soldiers. "Alright guys, get back to the truck. I'll deliver this message to command personally. Jackson, you know what you are doing right?"

"Yep."

"Good. I'll radio back once we've got this whole thing sorted."

She got in the driver's seat of the truck and smiled. Finally, something.

* * *

The lieutenant scrutinized the authenticity of the letter. While they wanted to believe they had actually come into contact with the isolationist bear clan, they still had some doubts. The lion looked up. "Are you positive this individual was a member of the bear clan. For all we know, she could be an Armello spy or some sort of saboteur."

"I don't know sir. I've never seen a bear but this person looked like she was a shaman of some sort. She had a staff and was naked when she came over. She could be a crazy person but we aren't sure."

He sighed. "Damn it. I don't like this one bit. Maybe we should just turn her away. That's probably the safest option."

"Sir, with all due respect. I believe such an act could be misinterpreted as an act of aggression. I doubt we would want to fight sorcerers sir."

"Then what do you suggest Sargent? The bears have stayed out of Armello ever since we arrived and suddenly she shows up out of the blue? It just doesn't make sense."

"Lieutenant, they don't exactly have any means of communicating with us without sending people on foot. Maybe we should go over instead."

"What the hell do you mean Sargent."

"What I mean is, we send a small team over to their clan territories with her to verify she is being honest. Sir."

"You expect me to risk the lives of our men simply for some chance that we could have peace with one of the clans in Armello. Hell, we know the least about them because they keep weeding out our spies and sending them back! How the hell do we expect to know what they are thinking"

"I understand it's risky sir, but this could be our chance to get our footing into some of the political affairs in Amrello. Hell, we could even figure out more about magic within Armello and other stuff. The bears know this the best after all."

"Sargent I... god damn it, I'll have to take this up with the Doctor. Just get out okay?"

"Yes sir."

* * *

Bishop sat outside the barracks enjoying a small cup of vanilla pudding. Command had told the men at the CP to let Sana stay until they could finish discussion. Of course, this was no problem for Sana who was more then willing to wait, even if it did pose a slight security risk. They offered her a cot inside the check point but she refused and wandered into the forest to rest. The doctor and the lieutenant were having a heated discussion on what to do regarding the peace offering. Bishop knew something big was going to happen and she was keen to find out what. She wasn't exactly pissing vinegar just to get some action but it would be a change of pace to actually get off base and go somewhere interesting for a change. She wanted to see Armello rather they stay on this hill and wait till she grew old. Bishop threw away the pudding cup and went inside the barracks. Inside, there were a few other men who were tucking in for the night. She went over to her bed and stripped out of combat uniform and packed it neatly into her footlocker as she fished out her tooth brush and tooth paste. Ramirez came over and looked at her. "Soooo... I heard something about a bear at checkpoint charlie."

"Oh yeah. An ambassador for the bear clan came to negotiate for them."

"Just the bear clan?"

"Just the bear clan."

"Why not the rest of Armello? What the hell are they doing out there?"

"The rest of Armello is damn bent on going to war. The bears must have not been able to talk them out of going to fight."

"Still though..."

"Maybe if we make a deal and the bears show the terms of our agreements to the other clans, maybe they'll follow suite."

"You really think that?"

"Fuck no. We killed their boys out there... They aren't going to let that slide so easy."

"But still, fighting will cost them more, what is the point!"

"Hell if I know. Duty? Honor? They surrender after their boys get slaughtered without even getting into a fight, it will make them look bad. Rebel groups and militias will probably rise up to try and overthrow the government or attack us. Then we have something worse on our hands."

"Damn it..."

Ramirez still looked very uncomfortable. Bishop knew why. "You know, you can still talk to the psychiatrist. No one will judge you for it..."

"Not now."

" I'm just looking out for you because you are my squad mate. I know you aren't ready to kill again like you did on our first day here but you can't work at the mess hall forever. You're going to be called eventually."

"I know... It's just."

"I understand but I really recommend you see the psych for help. I don't want to deal with another day one but you need you to be ready for a fight."

"I know... I won't let you down sarge."

"Good man."

She got out of her footlocker and went to the bathrooms to get ready for the night.

* * *

Bishop walked along side Sana as they went through the prison camp so she could inspect the prisoners. As a bear clan mage, she asked that she be let into the prison camp to aid any prisoners. Command was reluctant to let her in but decided to when she mentioned she would use the Wyld to aid them. r Sana was disturbed by the prosthetic limbs and the scars from the battle but she was slightly relieved knowing the prisoners were being treated well. She inspected the prosthetic arm of a dog prisoner. "These prisoners... They speak of laws and obligations you all hold to protect the enemy. Why?"

"Because it's pointless to attack non-combatants and those who can't fight.. Then again. It's not like we want to kill."

"At least your people are doing what you can to save those who could be saved."

"Still... One hundred and three men out of four thousand three hundred and twenty three isn't... It isn't good."

Sana simply nodded and left the prisoner. She observed the prisoners as they milled about the area in addition to their amenities, diet and daily habits. She turned to Bishop. "Where are the common soldiers?"

"They're here as well but a few have been released."

"You mean you mix the officers and the foot soldiers together?"

"Yep. Most of the officers are dead and a lot of the prisoners are crippled or wounded to the point where if they did organize an escape, they couldn't actually carry it out because most of them couldn't even hope of making it far. There are about nineteen prisoners who are fully capable of escape."

"Why did your people decided to release some of the prisoners?"

"They weren't considered a threat. Most of them were farmers or craftsmen who were drafted into the ranks. Those guys aren't exactly the smartest and they don't know much about the inner workings of Armello. Officers and people of interest are kept behind for interrogation and security reasons."

"I see. What did you do with the dead?"

"We took the bodies and incinerated them for safety reasons. Some of them were corrupted with rot so we had to make sure we eradicated every trace of it before anyone else got sick. We left the ashes in a mass grave not far from here in the woods."

"Good. As grim as it is, we can't risk the rot coming back to Armello."

"Yeah. Right."

"That is why we've contacted you people. We can tell you all are doing your best to destroy the rot, what ever form it may take."

"Excuse me?"

"We see your people raining fire down from the skies and reducing the fowl beasts to ashes followed by your iron birds to destroy what is left. Those are you're people are they not?"

"No, they are... I just thought they were more subtle about it."

"The sound of the fire can be heard from miles around and the shrieks of dying banes can be recognized by anyone. We are thankful your people have come to Armello. Even if you're original intentions weren't to destroy the rot."

"Well. If it protects the civilians, then we will do whatever it takes."

"And for that, we are thankful."


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5: Recon team Bravo

* * *

It had been a week since Sana arrived. Things had been going smoothly and it was rumored that Sana and the commanders had already come to a agreement. At least that what she thought. Bishop sat in a briefing room with the 5 other UNGDF soldiers and 3 members of MTF Lambda-12. She was told to report here this morning for a special assignment and now, here she was. Something told her negotiations may not have gone as smoothly as they were rumored. She didn't know anyone here and that made her kind of nervous. There was wolf specialist named John O'Brien, a otter Corporal named Anthony Jackson, a tiger private named Nigel Omar, a hare private named Glenn Arden, and a golden retriever private named Richard Sparding. The MTF members consisted of a badger specialist code named Zulu Foxtrot, a fox captain code named Whiskey, and a bear specialist code named Papa.

The doctor came into the room with the Lieutenant. Everyone stood up and saluted. The two nodded and the doctor went to the stand. "Alright, everyone have a seat. Now, as I'm sure you all know, whatever is discussed in this meeting is classified and you all, under no circumstances, are supposed to divulge any information from this meeting, are we clear?"

We all responded. "Yes sir!"

The doctor nodded. "Good, now Lieutenant."

The lieutenant nodded and pulled out a remote. The room went dark and the projector turned on. An image of the UNGDF logo appeared with it's motto underneath it, United we stand. He used the remote and the image of the SCP logo appeared with the motto below it as well, secure, contain, protect. He clicked it again and the title, operation Goldilocks was displayed on the screen. "Your primary objective is to escort a foundation negotiator named Mia Hart and bear clan member Sana into the Bear clan territory so we can officially begin peace negotiations. The peace deal she brought outlined some of the bear clan's peace terms but we will have speak with them in person to ensure there is no miscommunication. This does mean you all will be traveling on foot. With the unreliable roads and rough terrain, vehicle transport has been deemed impractical and we have a feeling motor vehicles may offend the bears because well... You all probably know why. "

He clicked the slide and pictures of 9 bears appeared on the screen. "These are the bear elders. They're members of the elder council. A group that... advises their leader Elarius Superior and serves as local leaders for villages through the clan. This is another objective, don't let harm come to a single one of the elders and protect the negotiations. We suspect the king's spies may try to sabotage the meeting so be weary and obviously, do not divulge this information to any civilians or government officials aside from the bear elders."

The projector showed an image of a bird's eye view large tree and several small yurts around it. "This is their capital. It's approximately two hundred and fifty two miles from here. Sana states it took her about a month to hike from the capital to site alpha so you all will need to pack for a long trip...We expect no hostiles along the route so you can pack a few more MREs and lighten up on the ammo. If your teams do need anything..."

He used the projector and it showed a SATCOM kit. "You will have to use this SATCOM to establish contact with us and we'll try to airdrop in supplies but don't count on it. The weather is going to by spotty over the next few days so communications will be unreliable and the path you'll be taking is mostly forest and the supplies will most certainly get stuck in the trees. But, you don't exactly have to worry about food because Sana has a great understanding of the local flora so you will have plenty to eat."

The projector clicked again and showed a picture of Sana. "When you do get the capital, leave the SATCOM behind for the bears so they can keep in touch with us. We'll airlift you all out once negotiations are over so you all won't have to worry about supplies for the journey back."

A map of Armello with a red line drawn from site Alpha to the capital appeared on the screen. There were markings of Armello troop positions, towns, roads, dungeons, and potential bane location. "We would send you all in on helos but we want you all to interact with the locals and improve our public image. This will help us if the Armello alliance does end up attacking the bear clan and because the bears will be more trusting of us."

The Lieutenant then began to point at each of the symbols on the map. "As you all can see, these symbols here are the currently known Armello troop locations. As expected, the kingdom has been divided up into five sectors which have been code named accordingly. The bear territory has been listed as sector bravo echo alfa, the rat clan territory has been labeled romeo alpha tango, the rabbit clan Romeo alfa bravo, the wolf clan whiskey oscar lima, and the Armello territory listed as alpha romeo mike. Troop positions for the rat, wolf, Armello, and rabbit sectors have become more concentrated on bridge crossings, towns, cities, and their borders."

Images of fortresses and outposts appeared. "They've also been setting up checkpoints and re-purposing any structures that can be built into fortresses. Now, while you won't have to worry about encountering any of these fortresses or checkpoints, we have spotted patrols moving near the path you will be traveling along and we have reports of enemy rangers being dispatched to the area. Now, while we have paid off some of the rangers to work for us, you all must make sure you encounter the right patrol when you arrive here-"

He pointed at a section of the map near a river. "When you all arrive here, yell, do not mess with me, I have a stick! To which they should answer, pull down your pants and show us! I know, it's stupid but I doubt anyone in Armello would be able to figure out it is a challenge phrase."

He stepped over to the doctor and gave him the remote. "Now, the doctor will tell you all about some side objectives you all should try and complete."

The doctor took the stand and projected a picture of a flower that had been sketched in pencil. It looked like a page out of an Armello botany text book. "This is a picture of wyld weed. It's a flower with healing properties that is said to grow near these structures called spirit circles."

The image of a circle similar to the stone hedge was displayed. "The flowers are blue and posses natural luminescent properties. If when ingested or smoked, the flower is said to slightly heal those who use it. Now, you will encounter these stone circles along your way. Two to be exact so keep in mind to check them out."

Then an image of a a vial with a thick brown liquid appeared. "This, is Wyldsap. Yes, it's sap that is secreted from Armello's ancient trees but don't scoff just yet. In its pure form, it acts like Wyld weed but it can heal the user significantly. Wyldsap on the civilian market within Armello is usually watered down so more can be distributed to more people. This makes it less effective however and usually ends up degrading the medicine faster."

The image of guards standing around what looked like a clinic appeared. "With recent events however, medication such as Wyldsap and Wyld weed has become harder to acquire. Their army has been taking as much medicine as they could and leaving towns with just enough to treat everyone in the villages. Guards have been sent to clinics and apothecaries to ensure medicine is used sparingly and those who steal the medicine or use it without authorization are punished severely."

He showed an video of Wyldsap being given to a badger who had a huge gash in his leg. The badger drank the sap and the video focused on the cut which started to put itself back together until the cut had mended itself. "You all are smart enough to realize the advantages of having wyldsap and wyld weed so I won't start to lecture you all about why we need it so bad."

The image of a metal box with nitrogen pouring out of it appeared on screen. "This is a TCSSK or the temperature controlled sample storage kit. You will use this to store samples of wyldsap and weed so that the scientists here can study it's properties and potentially create a synthetic version of wyldsap and weed for military and civilian applications. In addition to this, you could collect other samples you deem to be of interest if you still have space, but we ask that you prioritize wyldsap and wyld weed."

He went to the next slide in the projector which featured a list of names and images. "Sana will be able to identify most of these for you but we ask that you look for spirit seeds, mountain moss, and lunacaps if you do have room. Spirit seeds are these special seeds which are known for regrowing entire forests within mere seconds. We're unsure of their properties but we believe there is some magical element to them and we'd like to study them to determine this. Mountain moss is a temporary remedy for rot infections. It can suppress the infection for a short time but you'll need more and more just to hold back the rot. Lunacaps are the main ingredient in moon juice which is a potion that gives those who use magic a little boost. These plants have been mentioned several times by healers and alchemists within Armello and we'd like to get our paws on them for study... Of course, only get these if you have the room, otherwise, forget it. Leave it to a later expedition. The royal guards are snatching up wyldsap and wyld weed as fast as they can and we're afraid they may deplete all of the samples that are currently in the wild."

The presentation ended and the lights came back on. The doctor and the Lieutenant stood by each other. The doctor coughed. "Now, in addition to the information detailed in you UNGDF interactions guide, try to limit the amount of technology you expose to the bears. Refrain from using your radios, flashlights, mp3 plays and all that. If you must, do so in an environment that will not disturb the local population. We don't want them to think we'll like... Steal their souls with flashy things or trap them in the tiny voice boxes. The satcom will be an exception but you must thoroughly explain what it is before you use it every time."

The lieutenant sighed. "Sargent Bishop, after much debate with the doctor you will be placed under the command of Captain Whiskey. I know it doesn't seem right but he has more experience in the field and has greater credentials in squad leadership then you do. Make no mistake, you are a competent squad leader... Whiskey is just better. He is an MTF member after all and I believe he was a navy seal before being hired by the foundation."

Bishop was slightly angry but she understood. She nodded. "I understand sir."

The doctor nodded. "You know what you have to do, get ready and leave at O one hundred hours."

* * *

Bishop rode on a HEMTT with the team members of recon team bravo and members of Checkpoint Charlie's next shift. The members of Lambda-12 would meet them at the checkpoint once they had finished their own personal briefings. She road in the back of the truck with the others checked her pack again. Her m249 saw, 20 MREs, one sleeping bag, camouflage netting, 2-200 round belts of 5.56 ammunition, 2 smoke grenades, 2 flares, weapon maintenance kit, a spice kit, her camel back, a combat knife, a interceptor vest, a combat helmet, NVGs, gas mask with filters, spare batteries, binoculars, IFAK, and some miscellaneous items. The equipment weighed about 110 pounds overall. Not ideal for a soldier... If they were human at least. Being a mountain lion did have its perks. Greater strength and sharpened senses does tend to give one an advantage after all.

Omar and Arden were riflemen, O'Brien was anti-tank, Jackson was a grenadier, Sparding was a combat medic, Zulu Foxtrot was a demolitions expert, Whiskey was a marksman and Papa was a flamethrower operator. Together, a new recon unit was born. Recon team Bravo. A force made up of UNGDF personnel and selected MTF soldiers. Together, they would work with sympathetic militias and UN auxiliary units to travel throughout Armello and carry out tasks to garner the attention of the Armello populace, and unite them against the king.

She looked at each of her squad mates and tried to guess how much they were carrying. O'Brien carried an M4 carbine, a knife, a dragon skin vest, an at4 anti-tank launcher, 3 frag grenades, 3 smoke grenades, 1 flare, an M9 beretta, ammunition, a combat knife, and other gear. All of which weighed upwards of 100 lbs. Arden had an M4 carbine, a Beretta, 2 smoke grenades, ammo, a knife, an interceptor vest, his helmet and other gear. She assumed the gear weighed about 70 lbs given the fact his interceptor vest and helmet were slightly smaller then the standard issued human sized equipment. Sparding had a mossberg 590, a knife, a interceptor vest, a helmet, 2 flares, 3 smoke grenades, his medical kit, and supplies. The total would come to around 80 lbs. When she questioned why he was using a Mossberg rather then a standard issue m4 carbine, he stated that the shotgun would be more suited for close quarters combat. Something that they would be dealing with if they had to go into the woods. He also favored the versatility of the weapon and the ability to chamber buckshot, slugs, and bird shot. Something they could potentially use to hunt for small game. Jackson had an m4 with an attached m203 grenade launcher, 8- 40mm HE grenades, 3-40mm smoke rounds, 5- 40mm illumination rounds, 2 frag grenades, 1 smoke grenade, a knife, a kevlar vest, a helmet, ammunition, and supplies. The total would weight about 80 lbs. Omar had the sat-com, a m4 carbine, a interceptor vest, a helmet, 3 smoke grenades, 2 flares, a knife and other equipment. All of which weighed about 70 lbs.

Papa would have to carry the most however because of his role within the squad. Though she didn't see him yet, she knew it was a lot. She was aware flamethrowers could easily weigh up to about 90 pounds if it was fully fueled. Though he was a bear and that he could handle the weight, his movement would still be hindered by the bulkiness of his equipment. Something that would not be ideal for the long journey ahead. This was especially bad considering the fact smaller animals like Whiskey or Jackson wouldn't be able to carry as much gear or food as the larger animals could. This mission looking worse by the minute.

Bishop knew they were quite under prepared for the journey from the start. Due to the dangers they may encounter and the rough terrain, an injury would be a major inconvenience out there. Not to mention, the amount of ammunition they might go through. If they were caught in a full on assault, they definitely wouldn't be able to hold out. They were so far away from reinforcements and any UN safe houses within Armello or its clan territories. At least in Afganistan, command was cautious enough not to send their troops out into unknown territory without backup and or vehicle assets. Then again, at least there were roads in Afghanistan was well as the full might of the U.S to fight there. She hoped they could at least encounter some of the leftover encampments left behind by the Black ops and the CIA operatives that were captured and returned by the bear clan. Perhaps they had left behind food or equipment that would be valuable for the journey. Bishop was also afraid they may need to dump some equipment due to weight issues if they encountered unstable ground. Sana had volunteered to shoulder some of the burden but was constantly reassured by personnel that the squad could handle the weight.

Bishop also had another concern. Why was a person with a flamethrower assigned to the team? Of course, Bishop was aware rot victims and banes were extremely vulnerable to incendiary weapons and sunlight but she was still unsure why he had to come. Flamethrowers were heavy and extremely dangerous for both the operator and the enemy. Plus, they didn't last too long, sure the bear could carry more fuel compared to a human but that would only add a few more seconds of burn. It's nothing compared to the power of tanks with built in flamethrowers. Not to mention, having such a cruel weapon in Armello would make the UN seem like the monsters the king constantly described them as. Being compared to a dragon is not exactly good. Dragons were usually said to destroy entire villages and raze farmlands during this time period so... Of course, it would add to the fear factor and serve as a valuable asset in destroying bane nests. Something that would increase UN prestige across Armello and the clans. Then again, the AT4 and grenades as well as dragon's breath or high explosive incendiary rounds could take down the creature and Zulu Foxtrot could use explosive charges to destroy the nests. High caliber rounds and bullets with a lot of stopping power could also work quite nicely. The fact that they also had Sana was also a good reason why they wouldn't need flamethrowers because she could simply use her magic and destroy the bane.

Whiskey stood with the two other members of MTF Lambda-12 and Sana stood by the checkpoint entrance. The members of Lambda-12 all wore that strange black armor of theirs with those foreboding gas masks. It was easy to tell them apart from other military units but that didn't exactly matter too much. The MTF units mainly stayed too their side of the camp and hardly interacted with UNGDF personnel. The most interaction with UNGDF personnel were during joint operations and training sessions. Bishop looked at them to try and guess what they were carrying. Zulu Foxtrot had an FN scar, 3 grenades, ammunition, a EOD vest, tool kit, helmet, a knife and other gear. She estimated he was carrying at least 100 lbs of equipment based on his role as the demolitions expert. Whiskey had a MK11, 3 smoke grenades, ammunition, a knife, a rangefinder, gillie suit, vest, helmet , and some other equipment. She guessed he was carrying around 80 lbs of equipment give or take. Papa had a flamethrower, what looked like a modified bomb squad suit, and some other gear. Bishop guessed he was carrying close to 120 or 130 lbs of gear. Definitely not ideal.

When the truck came to a stop, Bishop left the truck with her squad mates and saluted Whiskey while the members of the shift went to their posts. "Reporting sir!"

He nodded and saluted back. "At ease Sargent."

Bishop lowered her arm and the rest of her fire team assembled neatly behind her. Whiskey nodded. "Good, your time waiting hasn't exactly affected your discipline..."

He walked past the others, inspecting them. "Now, I'm going to say this, and I'm only going to say this once Bishop. You do what I say, when I say and you don't talk back to me. I get you were a squad lead before but that's irrelevant now. You report to me. Am I understood."

Bishop nodded. "Yes sir."

He walked back. "The same goes for all of you. Do as you are ordered and you all will get through this alive. I know more about Armello and its people than all of you. This isn't like Afghanistan or Iraq, this is something else entirely. Don't try and apply your previous deployments to the current situation and watch what you do. I hope you all read the UNGDF Civilian interactions section of your guide book because if you didn't, I'm not bailing you out simply because you said some metaphor or did something that could be misinterpreted as hostile action, am I understood?"

Bishop and her squad responded. "YES SIR!"

The fox walked ahead and ordered them to march towards the entrance. Bishop could tell she was going to like him. He had a certain... aura around him so to speak. His tone was confident but not arrogant and his voice was definitely one that was meant to be listened to. Whiskey did not seem like a person who wouldn't let his decisions be influenced by his emotions as well, one of the most valuable traits to have as a leader. Bishop had to admit, though she was a hard ass most of the time, her emotions still got to her. Something that would inevitable get them all killed. She could see why the lieutenant and the doctor chose him to lead. They approached the entrance and Whiskey nodded to Sana. "Okay Sana, now we need to wait for the negotiator and we'll be off. You do remember the path yes?"

She nodded. "Of course. I shall lead you on the path I took to come here. It's long but it should be safe."

Omar coughed nervously. "What do you mean by should be safe?"

Captain Whiskey glared at Omar who shrunk back from the Captain's gaze. "Quiet Omar. You would know what's out there unless you completely ignored the briefing."

"Sorry, I just wanted to clarify in case she knew something we didn't! Sir!"

Whiskey shook his head. "Whatever, I'm sure the path will be safe if Sana made it here alive. It's far away from major population or any alliance outposts and drone footage showed it to be clear as far as we can see for the time being. We just need to keep an eye out for anything suspicious and if we don't know what is out there, Sana will be able to warn us of any threats with her magic. Now..."

He looked back at the hill and a very annoyed expression crossed his face. He leaned into his radio. "Dispatch this is Bravo actual, where the hell is our negotiator? She was supposed to be here by now. Over."

The radio cracked. "Copy that Bravo actual, wait one. Over."

A minute passed before the radio operator came back. "Bravo actual, the negotiator appears to have had an accident or something. She's fine but you are going to have to wait a bit. Over."

"Copy that. Over and out."

He turned off his radio and growled before he punched the checkpoint sign, causing it to bend. "Alright, everyone take five. We'll just have to wait until our negotiator gets off her ass and over here."

The group dispersed and the soldiers of Lambda-12 sat down near the entrance of the CP. The soldiers stood by the watchtower. The MTF members were discussing something with Sana. While Bishop wanted to talk to her new squad lead, she decided it would be best not to interrupt the conversation lest she incur the wrath of the Captain. He seemed... Quick to anger. Bishop approached the other members of Bravo squad. These men didn't seem like reservists or national guards. The way these soldiers carried themselves seemed professional or they had been deployed. Bishop decided she would figure out who they were. She approached the others who were quietly watching the MTF members and whispering to each other. Bishop approached them. "Uhhh, hey guys."

* * *

Sparding was a member of the eighty second airborne. Originally, he was a doctor from Georgia with a rather hectic but boring life. A Harvard graduate with a bachelors and a MD as a neurosurgeon. Well accomplished and very talented in his field. When 9/11 hit, he traded the scalpel and medical scrubs for a a m4 and a combat uniform. Of course, he claims it was for revenge but he was probably looking for an excuse to go out and do something interesting. He was deployed in Iraq during 2003 in the initial invasion. Stationed in Fallujah after the initial invasion and was pulled out in 2004. Left the army and never turned back until he was called upon again to enlist in the UNGDF. Of course, he was uncomfortable with the fact he would never be able to return home but he viewed Armello as a chance to start fresh. He wanted an adventure and a simpler life. A selfish endeavor but ultimately one that would be shared by most of the soldiers. Armello was a new world after all and one that had great potential, even if it lacked technology.

Omar was a construction worker from Alabama, an employee of Athens Demolitions. But he wasn't the one who would implode buildings, he was cleaning up debris and loading them into trucks for disposal. He was deployed to Iraq in 2007, he was a member of the twentieth engineer brigade stationed in Balad. His team was tasked with clearing mines and rebuilding infrastructure. He stated he saw lots of horrible things there, having to dug up bodies from rubble in the aftermath of car bombs or artillery strikes. Real grizzly things that would make anyone double over and vomit. These days, he spent lots of time fortifying the base with other engineers that were recruited from other units. When asked about why he came to Armello, he said he wanted to help out. Seeing what happened back at deer county reminded him of some of the shit he saw back in Iraq and he vowed he would never let it happen again if he could do something about it.

Arden was a member of the second marines that was deployed to Iraq back in 2007. Before that, he worked as a door man for a night club from North Carolina. Of course, that doesn't exactly make someone a whole lot of money and he had fallen on some hard times when the club went out of business. He was in debt and with no actual skills, he was forced to live out of his mom's basement for a while until he could get on his feet. Of course, with no sense of direction, his mom pushed him into service. When asked why he decided to come back and join the UNGDF, he simply stated he didn't want to live with his mom anymore, the marines were his home now, and he would sooner kill himself then go back to the way things were. Even though the UNGDF weren't the Marines, it was the next best thing for him.

Jackson was from the second marine recon battalion. A simple guy from a military family that espoused the virtues of christianity and the idea of American exceptionalism. The typical all American guy. He would attend the on base sermons every Sunday and read the bible right before bed. He was a divorced for about 9 years, his wife leaving him for some trucker after he was deployed to Iraq in 2007. He also had a son that he would constantly skype with whenever he got the chance... At least before the deer county incident. His family was dead. As far as he was concerned, he died in deer county as well. The thought of never being able to see his son again hurt him but he ultimately decided he had nothing left to lose. He lost everything when his son was taken away from him but he decided he wouldn't be seeking revenge. He had the idea that he could try to educate the Armello creatures on the good book and teach them how to lead better lives. He rambled on about plans to build a church and spread the word of god to those who didn't know better. It was crazy but it was a noble endeavor.

O'Brien was part of the first marine division and was deployed to Iraq. He was a middle school teacher from Ohio and he hated it. The underfunded school he worked at was, as he put it, a complete shit hole and it's a wonder the board of education hasn't closed it down. It was one of those old schools in one of the dying mining towns that still produced something to keep the town barely alive. He talked about the old days of the town, how trains would be rolling out of the state loaded with coal. How his family was able to make enough money to live a normal life. Of course, when the mine was forced to cutback operations, his dad was laid off and soon enough, he didn't have enough money to leave the town and head somewhere else where he could actually make a living. The dead end job and a dying town pushed him into joining the army to at least have some hope of surviving and making a living. He came to Armello because he saw it as a chance to live in the old days again. The chance to relive the glory days of his past childhood and do what his parents did. Start a family and provide for them.

* * *

Something was clearly wrong. The negotiator wasn't coming. It had been about an hour and already, everybody was getting nervous, even the MTF members. Though the Bishop made conversation with her comrades, they soon ran out of interesting things to say. The members of the MTF team were trying to contact HQ again. Agent Whiskey becoming very agitated with dispatch who wasn't giving him a straight answer on why the negotiator was an hour late. Eventually, that agitation began to turn into something else. Bishop was having a hard time trying to figure out what. "What do you mean?"

The radio responded and Whiskey looked at it, his mouth open in shock. There was a wide, terrified look in his eyes. He said something to Sana who nodded and sat down on a chair while he and the rest of MTF sigma came back. Bishop stood up and addressed him. "What's the matter sir?"

"The mission is canceled. Return to base."

"What? What happened, is everything okay?"

"It's closed."

"What do you mean? What closed?"

He turned to her with a very horrified look in his eyes. "The portal is closed... We're on our own now."

* * *

**Sorry I haven't been able to write for a while now, I've been busy. But, don't worry, I'm not giving up yet. I'm making a new fanfiction now. A redwall fanfiction to explain where the portal went. Anyways, have a good summer.**


End file.
